[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6141811,"mediaKeyId","5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698","parentId",5570727,"title","County staff to present invoices for courtroom laptops; commissioners identify nonbudgeted funds for equipment","audioSeconds",990,"startMs",1310000,"endMs",2300000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698&start=1310&end=2300","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698/thumbnail_1310000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6141811/Neosho-County/Kansas/County-staff-to-present-invoices-for-courtroom-laptops-commissioners-identify-nonbudgeted-funds-for-equipment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141811-9584047d7d6e6edde54ac92b81a6ab04/orig.mp4?Expires=1775280791&Signature=Ii~kx5nCwz-nED6AU9gTdQDaUGFNjM83-~vobkq3vSYZVoSP56EIDeWHdCDBb3XrX9rJkn3MtAWz2QqBxUk~92WuUvlBd5tZbsYC5f2bzFtsHz9BAIjP08dRR8TsaFE7~8ElUcrqkalHzKio3S-4rzdTUn8BXbb94fHFVQjDLBmW87PcPFc-RSU7p09D4o~6Bo47AmoVs4cIMbJfkvls62VvjEQjBzQ68Ihan1Dn204I9n-16x-szSicO8GcAw5VvMSSQ57hKz3FNipR8x-e2WoiyttRzO81T40KTTLq4dvCeGVwdmtBL-BvETSl7-NTbSy~AYvTyw27fbpzWaV51A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Neosho County, KS","date","2025-08-13T04:24:59Z","article","During the budget work session the county attorney asked commissioners for guidance on purchasing three laptops to support a courtroom system scheduled to go live Nov. 3. The county attorney asked whether to include capital outlay in the office budget or to submit an invoice for the equipment so the county can fund the purchase from available equipment reserves.

“I'm going to need 3 more laptops because they'll be used in court,” the county attorney said, asking staff how to proceed. A finance staff member responded: “Present us an invoice. Just get us an invoice,” and said the county has equipment-reserve funds and about $9,000 in capital outlay in this year’s budget that could be used.

Commissioners and staff also reviewed several nonbudgeted special funds that have accumulated balances, including the special alcohol fund, special parks-and-rec fund and opioid-settlement money. One staff member noted the special alcohol fund carried about $12,760 for 2025 and suggested that breathalyzers or related equipment could be purchased. Commissioners discussed whether some of those funds are restricted and said they would confirm allowable uses before combining balances.

Other equipment and tech items mentioned in the session included body-cam funding lines in law-enforcement accounts, a pending request from 911 for a $70,000 desk, and general equipment needs for graders and road crews. Staff asked departments to identify specific invoices so finance can identify the correct funding source and process purchases out of reserves or special funds rather than capital outlay in operating budgets.

No final purchasing decisions were made in the meeting; staff were directed to accept invoices and identify appropriate reserve or nonbudget fund sources for the purchases.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 12th, 2025 Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","The county attorney requested three laptops for courtroom use ahead of a November go-live date; commissioners and staff discussed using equipment reserves and nonbudgeted funds (special parks, alcohol, opioid settlement accounts) for technology and other small capital needs.","taxTitle","Neosho County, Kansas","taxId",70769,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6141816,"County attorney says diversion funds are legally limited; office won't use them for salaries",441,816000,1257000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698&start=816&end=1257","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698/thumbnail_816000.jpg","/articles/6141816/Neosho-County/Kansas/County-attorney-says-diversion-funds-are-legally-limited-office-wont-use-them-for-salaries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141816-392cef1b0dc8e24ae9b51d18fec83bac/orig.mp4?Expires=1775280791&Signature=YNBn30U-66xJKKLBdES1t~A3Lux0zAIGzTKsaw3PAuskOo8UBXjFQatXj6a92iDRkSjf7h1j1Fp2WSs~L5MQSzi9SPwmj5CaXxr~op2lu5zolPyZDwRpnugPMn9x4C6RdSbFGGMFPdWeKSn4KTNiQAeRAnD22jRLvlGFTS~UdxQQ1W7JkEHN1x0RTobBA-N1YCR0N9Ci6eke8KuNLC8FYQ0vZYotln7XJVzqIbQvHe69TEz5JlXr44aZBvEUKFnYtREh2v0mJ5A1PkwwKI576KHsU~r5F5ojAriSyoC27FbaHO4upLA2-D~U87CJCEHre5buOrM6PjcgfY93mO5~6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the budget work session the county attorney described statutory limits on the use of diversion funds and said the office will not use those funds to supplement salaries or provide bonuses.

“The statute ... it's very specific what you can collect, and what you can do with those funds. And I can't use it to supplement my budget,” the county attorney said. The attorney said diversion-related receipts are generally limited to application fees and court-cost items and that statute allows use for training purposes but not for salary or to offset regular budget appropriations.

The attorney said a predecessor had included a separate diversion fee, often about $1,500, in agreements; the county attorney says the statute caps any diversion fee at $100 and that, if a diversion fee is imposed, the county commission must establish a victims’ group or mechanism for those funds to be returned or allocated for victims. “I've been waiving them in previous agreements because I think they were collected improperly,” the county attorney said.

What commissioners asked and what remains open: Commissioners asked how much money currently sits in the diversion accounts; the county attorney said no new monies have been added recently and that an audit will determine what portions must be remitted to the state, paid to victims or retained for allowable purposes. “The audit's gonna say this of all the money in these accounts, this is what needs to be sent to the state. This is what needs to be sent to victims,” the county attorney said.

Discussion versus action: the session recorded discussion and requests for an audit; no formal action or change in county policy on diversion fees was approved during the meeting.

Next steps: the county attorney said she will consult with the disciplinary administrator or other oversight officials to determine the proper disposition of previously collected diversion fees and the office will not count on those funds as a predictable revenue source for salaries or recurring expenses.","The county attorney told commissioners that diversion-program receipts may be used only for limited items such as training and cannot be used to pay salaries; the attorney said prior practice included larger diversion fees that may have been collected improperly.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6141821,"Commissioners scrutinize draft county budget, question cash-reserve math and ambulance sales tax totals",4118,50000,4168000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698&start=50&end=4168","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5570727-7f7ac810c50b9762523c8a796969e698/thumbnail_50000.jpg","/articles/6141821/Neosho-County/Kansas/Commissioners-scrutinize-draft-county-budget-question-cash-reserve-math-and-ambulance-sales-tax-totals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6141821-28cbe621bdd2e2d2b311a22d4c02fdc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775280791&Signature=VwPlgBesoOG4rVNNVWfCfgqdyrSKNzqRJjMrVzgwCxiI7vASucAt61rQI1HSi8IrwlUCeP59Bm~~~B-lGLsHFp2YganNj1XjA0Z-5ktDKQy60EOQTDnBpolr-EepyMTbocGSQT5sRuwaqaE1bcvpQhe2u3hAMj9IaW8LPYvhUEXvfAV5YKKJAFadZPDfSGWese6B1Ay7-OZPDDvVlc6sy92G0GEolhuCdMmjmy1OwryLbFpvx8zgtwhI7HVoa~~vSS8piyDDBiolaJjKE-GXLO9QPaDHO9ZqvHBjS5eTVd3MPBpxrt~K2~~SW2nfZxUydhGb2vhB9zvt2VEVUyWGFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County commissioners met at the New York County Courthouse for a budget work session to review Draft 4 of the proposed 2026 budget and raised questions about how cash reserves, ad valorem projections and ambulance sales-tax proceeds were displayed in the worksheet.

The most immediate concern centered on two carryforward/cash-reserve lines that commissioners said looked duplicative. “It looks like to me it's in there twice,” a commissioner said, noting an unencumbered cash balance of roughly $2 million and a separate cash reserve of about $1.7 million. Commissioners asked staff to reconcile how the draft moved the county from a reported deficit in 2024 to the higher carryforward shown in Draft 4.

Why it matters: commissioners said they want accurate starting balances before finalizing tax rates and before implementing the wage-study increases included in the draft. One commissioner called for another work session so auditors can confirm the numbers before the revenue-neutral hearing.

On ambulance sales tax, members questioned a figure shown in one staff worksheet. “I don't understand where he came up with the 5.4,” a commissioner said, contrasting that with prior practice of budgeting roughly $2,000,000 a year for ambulance payments. Commissioners asked staff to verify year-to-date collections and whether the worksheet incorrectly accumulated multiple years of receipts.

The draft also reflects planned reductions in some program allocations, including a $100,000 cut to courthouse general and a decrease to the Southeast Kansas Mental Health line. Commissioners discussed the potential payoff of a HVAC lease as a way to reduce long-term debt. One commissioner said paying off the lease would reduce debt by roughly $200,000 and urged staff to check for any prepayment penalty with the bank.

Discussion versus direction: commissioners repeatedly emphasized that outstanding questions about carryforwards, transfers and special funds must be resolved before the next formal hearing. Staff agreed to recheck the figures, verify the ambulance-sales balances, and confirm how prior-year trial-balance figures were carried forward into Draft 4.

Process and next steps: commissioners set a follow-up work session two weeks later and directed staff to share department-level numbers so department heads can review the draft allocations and the wage-study impacts. During the session a commissioner moved to schedule the additional work session, the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote: “All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Cindy.”

Less urgent items noted during the meeting included discussions of equipment reserves, grader lease payments and how new road-project sales-tax receipts should be projected for 2026.","County commissioners at a budget work session pressed staff on apparent duplicate carryforwards, differing cash-reserve figures and how ambulance sales-tax receipts were shown in the draft budget; they scheduled a follow-up work session to reconcile numbers before the revenue-neutral (RNI) hearing.","actionData","errors"]

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County staff to present invoices for courtroom laptops; commissioners identify nonbudgeted funds for equipment

County attorney says diversion funds are legally limited; office won't use them for salaries

Commissioners scrutinize draft county budget, question cash-reserve math and ambulance sales tax totals