[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6521184,"mediaKeyId","5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85","parentId",5112789,"title","NRP accounting error forced Bourbon County appraiser’s office to repay about $40,000 and drained equipment reserve","audioSeconds",155,"startMs",3435000,"endMs",3590000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85&start=3435&end=3590","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85/thumbnail_3435000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521184/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/NRP-accounting-error-forced-Bourbon-County-appraisers-office-to-repay-about-40000-and-drained-equipment-reserve","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521184-3a0f8c7c7af643a30312953b96d418b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=SxsuonaaydTdY8dYqjzSb~UGIzQ1zOwL~bcb4xq54rd6QzIiPRXrd005xvRI-YHFvTrWIwGNHb0Fa9A8EDiKQxdfRvvF-lzJHEYZTMy5E8gOztGFTydRRnigj565y7AMzodiICoO3TFjqUPwOS8G2msCQODGVjyDQnFzfwmrThoyjJ3vDHTYcqeI42myGJg0vMsCovvSDhNDkPc255hMEU8GgI3H1tp-NxtZGSxM8kN-GvCT~T2L9vK9dJwHwOKi-vKNG4002FdOS0B5JP32-WS9CIVIMTvPzp0dAEV6zrVRhf6dJNmFptCnihB3Ugn~pLfrwpXguOKjZAF0l3wbUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-01T20:45:39Z","article","County Appraiser Matt (last name not specified) told commissioners the appraiser’s office discovered calculation errors in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) that resulted in approximately $40,000 in refunds owed to taxpayers. He said the county manually recalculated claims and paid most refunds in 2024, which depleted the appraiser’s equipment reserve and will push the appraiser’s fund levy higher while the reserve is rebuilt.

Matt said the problem arose because the county’s software lacked the needed capabilities and some user errors compounded the issue after staff transitions. He said manual recalculation for multiple years showed the county owed money to property owners and that the county moved about $30,000 from an equipment reserve fund in 2024 to satisfy payments. As a result, the appraiser’s equipment reserve is low; Matt said the office may start the next fiscal year with little to no equipment reserve and will levy to cover the office’s full budget.

Matt explained there was an option to pursue recovery against the appraiser’s professional bond for eligible claims (heirs, omissions, dishonesty), but he said the commission previously voted not to pursue that course. He described internal controls now established: a spreadsheet cross‑check between manual calculations and system outputs that the appraiser and finance staff use as a second check on NRP calculations.

Commissioners and staff discussed cash‑flow timing and the immediate need to ensure appraiser operations can continue; Matt said the county will levy for the appraiser’s budget and work to rebuild the equipment reserve. No formal action was taken at the workshop.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bourbon County Budget Work Session Part 2 07/01/2025","oneSentenceSummary","County appraiser described manual recalculation of Neighborhood Revitalization Program refunds that cost roughly $40,000; commissioners declined to pursue recovery against a bond, leaving the appraiser’s equipment reserve depleted and prompting a levy increase this budget cycle.","taxTitle","Bourbon County, Kentucky","taxId",71615,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6521189,"County clerk seeks $33,000 for elections staffing as redistricting and new voting system raise costs",3314,6330000,9644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85&start=6330&end=9644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85/thumbnail_6330000.jpg","/articles/6521189/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/County-clerk-seeks-33000-for-elections-staffing-as-redistricting-and-new-voting-system-raise-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521189-50d529130a35065ee1d2d40eb8c128c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=X8sFi14JD1JwNbr~Yj0MlEsr2AIyZx4ps0DX9BNcgU5L7Y4JbSu4eHGIYTOR15F-XJK2S3~63ZwlQBDRjo9-~qh5M4SSVUXbaQXBryCtkBxlXkBloCHV0l9osbjTa-Mf3rG7A5njA9A8xxQp-97qrBocJ7DD4VpSp0JvPBi9ZdK9h4xbVmakLYD97IJuXdoCctPO2U5ga39jjKcomU8A9C5HY1EreVn4qU6JKM5yGepAf~SlngKQ0f~D3UgcuRJ~lDozM2ITmzeXlR0toU67mABUUO57KObT8pzKYzK9ObVdVDT9lwCGmCxgInrJsxmTJcNQ8sfVzpOM04RSY0uT5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Susan (county clerk) told commissioners that election administration and statutory clerk duties have grown and that the clerk’s office needs additional staffing and modest increases to operating funds to manage new workload created by a 2022 voting‑system purchase and recent redistricting.

Susan said the county clerk is the official election authority under Kansas law and described multiple added costs. The county purchased a new election system in 2022; she said that decision increased annual maintenance costs from roughly $10,000 to about $20,000 and that vendor on‑site support has been required for multiple recent election runs. Redistricting forced the clerk’s office to create many new precincts and new ballot styles; Susan said the change required the office to touch every voter record to set precincts and ballot styles and that new ballot styles increase printing costs.

To address the workload, Susan requested an additional staff member dedicated largely to elections and asked commissioners to approve a total incremental budget of $33,000: roughly $23,000 added to the election fund (to cover recurring election costs) and $10,000 for the county clerk’s general office to support pay adjustments for existing staff. She told commissioners the clerk’s office currently has three staff members and is “down to the bare bones.”

Susan outlined statutory responsibilities the clerk must perform, including preparing the tax roll abstracts, certifying levies, administering payroll and benefits, managing fixed‑asset inventories, acting as the public records/Freedom of Information officer, running elections, and interacting with the state on redistricting and voter registration. She said daily voter‑registration checks and obituary monitoring, required by statute and election rules, add to staffing needs.

Susan also raised employee benefit costs as a budget pressure. She said a single‑person health plan currently costs roughly $910 per month (about $11,000 annually), noting insurance and liability premiums are expected to rise and will affect personnel costs and the county’s ability to give raises.

Commissioners asked for more detailed revenue and mill‑rate projections; Susan and staff said they will compile budget totals and preliminary revenue estimates and return with those figures. No formal vote was taken at the workshop.

","Bourbon County Clerk described expanded election workload tied to a new voting system and redistricting, asked for a dedicated elections staffer and $10,000 for clerk office raises, and warned ongoing system maintenance and printing costs have increased.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6521193,"Bourbon County Conservation District urges commissioners to keep $40,000 contribution to preserve state match",1199,3849000,5048000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85&start=3849&end=5048","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85/thumbnail_3849000.jpg","/articles/6521193/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Bourbon-County-Conservation-District-urges-commissioners-to-keep-40000-contribution-to-preserve-state-match","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521193-d471af89f0660aed651acb769c964945/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=Ssj2CR7zGuHcCDqW3RF24BKOntKQMzivVJ49LC7ff~shxzmbirOcbDdat2u953R1j-P34S5nNPt6B9~Sr~DH~mFN8cL0Z-U5BjGHj44OES~x6R4Sy6Fb566Zt~IuZXqNhxCpDqQzyeQ1-N6kOk~DXYyMV~xifbvJgZA1Wmia4cQrIKas1e49UYU-~v~heYLX2HdSwfbZtjFo31m7Jw3Fwm2sUJGB8FuQjvElsfewubXdcjMy9l0ts1NWRy1euM6c1a3E8Je9E3La6C7PX0dKqqv3kmhDqZFRF35Ov~~jE-x5y5WR4asX4m6h6pU5LPgQOOmwUdpiKHA~EF8rKwVZqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jared Pollack, chair of the Bourbon County Conservation District, and Mandy (the district’s sole employee) asked Bourbon County commissioners to maintain a $40,000 county contribution that the district uses as the local match for state conservation programs.

Pollack said the district serves as a hub for conservation work — coordinating Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) technical assistance, state water resource cost‑share contracts, nonpoint source pollution control funds and cost‑share programs for producers. He told commissioners that county support unlocks larger state and federal investments.

\"For every dollar that we get from the county, we give back about $14,\" Pollack said, adding that the figure is approximate. The district provided a packet showing about $108,000 in state funds and programs flowing through the district in the current year, including state aid and cost‑share programs. Pollack said the district’s direct budget request to the county this year is $40,000.

District representatives described two funding streams: a restricted operating budget (used for payroll, training and limited administrative costs) and an enterprise fund that supports equipment rentals, grass drill operations, firefighting and other fee‑for‑service activities. They said enterprise and special‑levy accounts exist for targeted capital work, such as drill replacement (Pollack cited a 15‑foot drill replacement cost of about $84,000 as a planning benchmark).

Pollack emphasized that the district’s state match is contingent on the county contribution: \"If the county commissioners cut us, the state cuts us. So we will cease to exist,\" he said, noting the district has operated in Bourbon County for roughly 80 years. The district said it has been exploring partnerships with public works and others to direct special‑levy funds to county watershed projects, but those efforts are in early stages.

Mandy described the district’s day‑to‑day operations and outreach to producers, and supervisors on the district board answered questions about capital‑outlay planning and a dedicated account created in the early 1980s to support county conservation projects.

No formal vote occurred at the workshop. Commissioners said they will consider the district’s materials as part of the broader county budget review.

","Board chair and the district’s sole employee told commissioners that county funding triggers state and federal cost‑share dollars; they warned that cutting county support would end state matching funds and the district’s programs.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6521199,"Area Agency on Aging asks Bourbon County to maintain senior-services funding",0,1594000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85&start=1594&end=1594","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5112789-6f9e474995de85870be873313feb3f85/thumbnail_1594000.jpg","/articles/6521199/Bourbon-County/Kentucky/Area-Agency-on-Aging-asks-Bourbon-County-to-maintain-senior-services-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521199-7acfaa84159db283ed1d21646ed4a3bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437851&Signature=a9H7eqT6WNiAF70R7ZXZoko81eT9VAtmdHGIiBA-30ouROZxmHGaPMdwvvXv-e~MiI4CgUQZpan6ckzGcNAIx5XAqa54V6HZu4oOX~3w5qAwBP9gpP~7pDeIbpwdUiQ8cmwXEdK3QVPvdLoWM1cfLv3EjWCQ-~DXHwgWoRJskycF~fs6D-l~xRqVAcT6UkFWkdfb~zrHnP~1bOOmQ0t2dy8U4dd7aFpOETEVs3bBcXryv6~LnotT3zjXaDDkb4QkHTHVfl2iIkn7kMiRMz6dfWpbNVTB4CywmAGPFR4zJpk8Q9VotDIntixR4Dz0jMOTqGgudrS1bnv9fwTTHvDvNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kathy Brennan, executive director of the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, told Bourbon County commissioners at the county budget workshop that the agency is asking the county to maintain its current level of funding to support nutrition, in‑home care and caregiver services across the county.

Brennan said the agency, which serves nine counties and is headquartered in Chanute, provides Meals on Wheels, congregate meals, limited attendant care, case management and caregiversupport programs paid largely with federal Older Americans Act and state Senior Care Act funds. She told commissioners the agency is asking the county to continue the same county contribution it made previously.

The request matters because federal and state grants are used as seed funds and county contributions are part of the match that draws down additional state and federal dollars. Brennan said the Older Americans Act has no means test and prohibits requiring payment, while the Senior Care Act allows a sliding fee scale. \"It's a way to keep people in their home, in their community,\" she said.

Brennan gave several local details to illustrate demand and strain on services. She said the agency delivered Meals on Wheels to about 110 Bourbon County residents last year and that the county program started a waiting list this year with roughly 20 people waiting for home‑delivered meals. She said the agency provides in‑home attendant care up to a maximum of four hours per week per client and currently has three people receiving in‑home care in the county. The agency reported $4,193.25 in donations this year; Brennan also cited a line in the packet that she identified as $72,825 spent last year (the packet did not specify the exact line item for that number).

Brennan described a prior billing/flow issue in which the county’s budgeted contribution was routed first to the Bourbon County senior center and portions were then passed back to the regional agency; she said the county has since begun paying the agency directly. When asked what specific dollar amount she wanted, Brennan replied the agency was \"asking for the same amount,\" and she urged commissioners not to cut the county match.

Brennan described other programs the agency runs or helps coordinate, including free Medicare counseling via the federal SHIP/SHIP program (she said volunteer counselors assist residents with Part D choices and low‑income subsidy screening), a new congregate meal site at Buck Run that serves about 15 participants, and a small emergency assistance fund that provides up to $500 per qualifying household for items that keep someone in the home. She also described an exercise program and other outreach intended to reduce institutionalization and Medicaid spending.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the senior center role, donation levels and how county funds are used. Brennan said the county funds are used as match for state and federal grants and that reducing county support would reduce the agency’s ability to draw down those other funds.

The commission did not vote on the request at the workshop. Commissioners and staff said they will incorporate the request into upcoming budget deliberations.

","Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging told commissioners that local Meals on Wheels and in‑home supports are facing demand and funding confusion, and asked the county to keep its prior contribution to avoid service cuts and preserve state and federal matching dollars.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

NRP accounting error forced Bourbon County appraiser’s office to repay about $40,000 and drained equipment reserve

County clerk seeks $33,000 for elections staffing as redistricting and new voting system raise costs

Bourbon County Conservation District urges commissioners to keep $40,000 contribution to preserve state match

Area Agency on Aging asks Bourbon County to maintain senior-services funding