Lee's Summit finance committee forwards updated fee schedule, audit contract, landfill assurance and budget amendment as officials flag cautious revenue outlook

The City of Lee's Summit Finance and Budget Committee on April 7 recommended a package of ordinances and a budget amendment to city council and heard a presentation projecting modest revenue growth for fiscal year 2026.

The committee voted to advance an ordinance repealing the current schedule of fees and charges and to establish a new schedule to take effect July 1, 2025; to award the city auditing contract for one year with up to four one-year renewals to Forvis Mazars LLP; to authorize a contract of obligation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to satisfy post-closure financial-assurance requirements for the city's solid-waste disposal area; and to approve Budget Amendment No. 8, which includes an $8,000 internal equipment transfer and the addition of an FTE for a facilities and events manager for the Green Street facility.

Why it matters: the fee schedule update and budget amendment adjust how the city collects and allocates revenue and staff resources, the audit contract determines the vendor that will produce the city's annual financial reports, and the MDNR assurance secures regulatory requirements for a closed landfill with a 30-year post-closure period noted by staff.

Schedule-of-fees and airport changes Rick Gentry, budget manager, explained that the annual schedule-of-fees item consolidates department requests for fee adjustments. Departments proposed changes including a 2.9% CPI-based increase for airport hangar rental rates, new rates and amenities for a newly completed Hangar 2 (including a $200 monthly utility allowance and conference-room access), revised tie-down ranges to reflect larger aircraft, and a second de-icing option. The airport will also double certain special-event rates to help recoup additional staffing and equipment costs when large regional events place extra demand on airport resources. Credit and debit card service fees were separated out of miscellaneous fees for clarity; the airport’s service credit fees are set by the airport’s fuel contract with Adfuel and differ from general city service-fee caps.

Gentry also said ambulance-support fees (charges billed to insurance or patients for ambulance responses) and several other departmental fees were updated; sewer and water tap rates previously presented at the March 18 city council public hearing are reflected in the proposed schedule, and rate increases for water and sewer were noted as moving to effect in January 2029 as previously presented to council.

Audit contract Director of Finance Brianna Berichter said the city completed a routine RFP process for annual auditing and selected Forvis Mazars LLP as the top proposer. The committee recommended forwarding the ordinance awarding RFP 2025-036 for financial-auditing services to city council with the recommendation of approval.

Landfill financial assurance Michael Park, director of public works, told the committee that the city received notice last year that the landfill has an official closure status and that post-closure care will last 30 years. The ordinance authorizes a contract of obligation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to satisfy MDNR’s financial-assurance requirement. Park said the city maintains post-closure funds and reconciles projected future costs against available revenues and property values on the Browning property.

Budget amendment and facilities staffing Budget Amendment No. 8 includes two notable items: an internal transfer of $8,000 from the fleet fund to the water utilities fund to acquire an available backup generator (water utilities is replacing a generator elsewhere and the city plans to transfer that unit to the main-street fueling facility), and the addition of one full-time equivalent position titled facilities and events manager for the Green Street facility. Gentry said no additional spending authority was requested because vacancy savings in administration will cover the position for the remainder of the year. Committee members asked that the position be posted after council approval so the hire can begin as construction nears completion.

FY26 revenue projections and fiscal approach Eric Stoyanov, budget manager, presented FY26 revenue projections and said the finance team used conservative assumptions amid economic uncertainty. Key projections cited by Stoyanov included: - Property tax: 3.5% growth (the first year affected by a new Jackson County senior property-tax credit; Stoyanov said the county will provide more information in November). - Sales and use tax: 2.5% growth (combined figure; marijuana tax is included in sales tax totals per state law and contributes to growth). - Motor vehicle-related revenues: 6% overall growth (fuel-tax increases at the state level were noted as a key driver; Stoyanov referenced a planned July 1 state fuel-tax increase of 9%). - Franchise tax: modest growth (1.3% overall) with electric projected at about 3% and telephone/cable relatively flat. Stoyanov summarized that combined general-fund revenue growth was projected at about 3% and emphasized that the city would monitor revenues monthly and quarterly and be prepared to adjust if indicators deteriorate.

City manager Mark Dunning described the main expenditure "dials" the city can adjust if revenues fall short: personnel (about 65% of expenditures) and other supplies/charges/services (about 15%). Dunning said the city will use vacancy analyses and a cost-containment toolkit similar to strategies used in past downturns to delay or re-evaluate hiring and reduce nonessential supplies and travel while preserving core services.

Votes at a glance - TMP 3261 — Ordinance repealing ordinance No. 9981 and establishing a new schedule of fees and charges to take effect 07/01/2025. Vote: Council Member Funk — Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Lopez — Aye; Council Member Carlisle — Absent; Chair Shields — Aye. Outcome: Recommended to council (approved by committee). - TMP 3267 — Award of RFP No. 2025-036 for financial auditing services to Forvis Mazars LLP for a one-year term with up to four one-year renewals; authorization for the city manager to execute contract documents. Vote: Funk — Aye; Lopez — Aye; Carlisle — Absent; Chair Shields — Aye. Outcome: Recommended to council. - TMP 3284 — Ordinance authorizing execution of a contract of obligation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to satisfy financial-assurance requirements for the city's solid-waste disposal area (post-closure). Vote: Funk — Aye; Lopez — Aye; Carlisle — Absent; Chair Shields — Aye. Outcome: Recommended to council. - TMP 3274 — Ordinance approving Budget Amendment No. 8 to amend authorized expenditures for FY ending 06/30/2025 (includes $8,000 transfer and addition of an FTE for facilities and events manager). Vote: Funk — Aye; Lopez — Aye; Carlisle — Absent; Chair Shields — Aye. Outcome: Recommended to council.

What’s next Stoyanov and staff noted the committee will reconvene in two weeks for a review of general-fund expenditures and public-safety sales-tax budgets, with additional budget workshops in May. City council is scheduled to hold a first reading/public hearing on the budget May 13 and a second reading on May 20, at which adoption is planned.

Ending: Committee members stressed continued monthly monitoring of revenues and the use of vacancy analysis and other cost-control measures if economic indicators worsen.