Junction City Opera House director outlines 2025–26 budget, asks for no city increase

Ellie Dillon, executive director of the Junction City Opera House, told the Junction City Commission during a July budget session that the nonprofit expects a roughly 5% decrease in projected income for fiscal 2025–26 and will not ask the city for an increase in municipal support. Dillon said the decline in private donations followed completion of 131 West Seventh and the Munson Education Building, now owned by the city, and that the opera house is projecting higher rental and ticket revenues to offset the shortfall. “For 25–26, we will have a slight decrease in our budget by about 5% in projected income,” Dillon told commissioners. “Therefore, our expenses have been reduced to reflect the decreased projection.” The nut of Dillon’s presentation was that the Opera House plans to trim personnel and streamline programming to match lower revenue projections. She said the organization will operate with one director instead of two, reduce part‑time employees’ hours to roughly 20–22 per week, and consolidate education‑academy expenses after a year of higher staffing and participation. Dillon described a full schedule of community programming that she said the venue hosts on behalf of city and county partners, including Junction City Police Department training, county training, emergency‑management meetings, Kansas Main Street’s two‑day event in September, Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances, Juneteenth support and FreedomFest. She said three resident companies regularly use the building: Junction State Little Theatre, Junction City Arts Council and the Junction City Community Band. “The Opera House is the people’s house. It’s not just an opera house,” Dillon said. She added the organization is not seeking additional city funding for the coming year and intends “to diligently utilize those funds appropriately.” During follow‑up questions, commissioners asked about utility costs. A city staff member reported the opera house does not pay water and sewer charges; Dillon said the Opera House does pay for some utilities such as electric and gas and that transitioning to a new CPA caused delays in submitting recent financial statements. Dillon also provided commissioners with a packet that included financial statements, resident‑company information and sponsorship details. Dillon closed by noting attendance and education goals: the Opera House education academy served roughly 100 students the previous year and the community band’s Sunday concerts saw weekly attendance rise from about 142 to more than 250 over the season. The commission did not take formal action on the Opera House funding request during the session; Dillon said only that the organization would not seek an increase in municipal support for 2025–26 and asked commissioners to attend performances and community events. The presentation lasted about 10–12 minutes and concluded with commissioners thanking Dillon and inviting the public to “come and see a show.”