A range of Butler County nonprofit organizations and county departments briefed the county commissioners on program activity and funding requests during a July 15 budget review meeting as the board prepared notices for the 2026 budget process.

Why it matters: Commissioners heard operational updates, program expansions and one-time capital needs from agencies that receive county mill-dollar support. Those presentations help shape line items that staff will include in updated budget tables ahead of the Aug. 26 public hearing.

Highlights presented to the board:

Sunlight Children’s Home (presenter: Bryn Murphy, presenter for the organization) — Asked for level funding for 2026. Murphy said the organization completed a first year operating a thrift store (614 N. Andover Road) that now covers costs and provides revenue; the thrift-store consolidation freed space at the children’s home that the charity plans to remodel into offices. Murphy said Sunlight received a KDADS grant to fund two therapists to provide specialized group treatment for children ages 6–12 with problematic sexualized behavior; with the new staff the center hopes to run group therapy locally rather than sending families to Sedgwick County. Murphy said the children’s home is near capacity (typically 7–11 of 15 beds) and the organization recently purchased 17 acres to plan longer-term expansion.

Register of Deeds (presenter: Jackie, Register of Deeds office) — Reported completion of a project to restore and digitize old plats and records and to implement a new land-records software (Landmark through Catalyst) that improves searching and indexing; the office bought software with technology-fund dollars and showed a remaining technology fund balance.

Community Development (presenters: Chris and Toby) — Staff described near-complete work on new building-permitting software integrated with trade licensing and remote inspection capabilities; department budget held largely flat, with a $28,000–$30,000 transfer of economic development funds to administration in 2026.

Leadership Butler (presenter: Tia) — The leadership-development program reported rebuilding after pandemic losses and said the adult program will offer college credit through Butler Community College; the program requested $15,000 and continues to seek sponsors and grants to cover the full cost of its offerings.

Butler County Historical Museum (presenter: museum staff) — Reported completion of a STEM “wall” exhibit and receipt of a Smithsonian grant and other donor support for People of the Plains programming; noted that a recently built community facility is still carrying debt and not operating at a profit, and staff described concerns about property-classification issues tied to exemption status.

South Central Mental Health (presenter: Michael Countryman) — Said the agency earned permanent CCBHC certification and completed an expansion of its El Dorado office; Countryman said the certification increases Medicaid reimbursement, enabling service expansion including crisis response, a possible on-site pharmacy and free therapist services inside the county detention center.

Community Developmental Disability Organization / Flint Hills Services (presenters: Mika Heffner and Miles Harvey) — Reported CDDO administrative changes and a subcontract with Deepak to maintain continuity of CDDO services; the CDDO requested the same county contribution as 2025 (about $230,000) and said funds in 2024 supported case management subsidies, activity supports and provider payments benefiting hundreds of county residents with developmental disabilities; the local wait list remains substantial (reportedly more than eight years for some services).

Big Brothers Big Sisters (presenters: Shelly and Jera) — Reported increased matches and growth in served youth (projected 60+ children), noted a shortage of male volunteers used to match boys, and requested continued county support to expand programming and volunteer recruitment.

Butler County Fair Association (presenter: Erin, president) — Requested $25,000 (the board’s preliminary budget showed $19,000) to expand community programming, add speakers and events, improve fairground infrastructure (paint, signage, insulation of the scale house) and increase premium payouts for 4-H projects; the association said it is increasing outreach and social-media promotion and working to reinvigorate the fair as a broader community event.

Butler County Conservation District (presenter: Sandy) — Asked for a modest increase in county funding; reported a strong local leveraging ratio (county dollar to outside funding), noted recent federal and state staffing changes that affect local service delivery, and described watershed work that limited flooding at dam sites during recent heavy rains; referenced Senate Bill 36, which raised the state match for county conservation funding.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) (presenter: Christie) — Reported volunteer activity and casework for 2024: 20 volunteers, nearly 3,000 hours of casework, more than 600 child visits and an estimated $90,000 in donated volunteer time; volunteers filed recommendations in court with a high acceptance rate; CASA asked for continued county support to sustain recruitment and services.

Across the presentations, requests ranged from level funding to modest increases; several organizations emphasized reliance on county support paired with state, federal and philanthropic funding. South Central highlighted Medicaid reimbursement (via the CCBHC certification) as the principal revenue boost enabling program expansion; the CDDO emphasized the lengthy wait list for services and the county’s role in funding locally delivered supports.

What’s next: department and agency budget tables will be incorporated into county staff’s updated proposed budget for the Aug. 26 R-and-R/budget hearing and the Sept. adoption schedule discussed by the commissioners.