Council shifts stormwater specialist pay to general fund for remainder of 2025 amid low fund balance

The Johnson County Council unanimously approved moving the subdivision inspector and stormwater specialist salary from the stormwater fund to the county general fund for the remainder of 2025, after Planning and Zoning staff told the council the stormwater fund has operated at a low cash balance for several months.

Michelle Hansard, director of Planning and Zoning, said the stormwater fund is a self-funded revolving fund that has run on a low cash balance for the last three months. She told council members the affected position has been a split role historically and noted that starting in 2020 the position’s pay had been charged fully to the stormwater fund even though it is shared with subdivision inspection duties. Hansard said the department can absorb the shift within its other budget items so “it’s actually no additional appropriation for our overall budget.”

Hansard explained a recent state bill affecting stormwater revenue will give the county time to adjust operations: “For 2025 and 2026, if we leave it in the general fund, it gives us enough time to adjust our procedures and policies that in 2027, we should have a better line of how that position needs to be paid out of. And it will go back a portion of that will go back to that plan.”

Council members asked whether the fund would be expected to support the salary again and sought a timeline for returning the position to fee-based funding. Council Member Graves and others said they want the council to be kept informed when fee-funded positions are temporarily moved to general-fund pay so the council can watch for a plan to return them when revenues permit.

The council approved a combined motion to accept agenda items C‑2 and C‑3 (salary funding adjustments related to Planning and Zoning) after Hansard confirmed the change would be effective with the first June paycheck. Council Member Mallers moved to approve C‑2 and C‑3 and Council Member Bates seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.

Clarifying points recorded during the discussion: county staff characterized the stormwater fund as a self-supporting revolving fund with recent low cash balances; the requested change reassigns existing budgeted salary costs to the general fund for the remainder of 2025; no net increase in overall county appropriation was required for the shift; and the change’s effective date is the first June payroll.

Council members directed staff to return with longer-term plans to restore fee-based funding or otherwise clarify how the position will be funded in 2027 and beyond.

Action: items C‑2 and C‑3 were approved as presented; the salary line for the subdivision inspector/stormwater specialist will be paid from the general fund for the remainder of 2025, effective with the first June paycheck.