Build Kansas Fund staff presented an operating-expenditures request for fiscal year 2026 and explained adjustments to the office’s operating budget after its first year of activity.

Jason, the staff presenter, said the office had “right-sized” several line items after a year of operations and highlighted reductions in travel and IT development/hosting costs, which staff said had been higher in the first year due to a website redesign and initial travel commitments. He said the enabling legislation authorizes $5 million for the office; staff presented an FY2026 operating request that they described in the meeting as approximately $4,000,000 and noted that any money not spent from the authorized $5 million “is recycled back into the Build Kansas Fund and is available for applicants.” Bridal Yorkie, assistant director of KDOT’s Division of Administration, joined staff on the presentation to answer budget questions.

Why it matters: commission members asked how unspent operating funds are treated (staff said they return to the Build Kansas Fund for applicant use) and questioned specific line items and reductions. Representative Hoffman asked why “hub events” funding was reduced; staff said the program shifted more to virtual offerings and had overbudgeted events in the first year. Staff said the office still conducts an infrastructure summit and a fall peer-to-peer exchange for grant writers.

Discussion and clarifications: staff said travel remains part of the budget because in-person contact is needed for outreach, but that some events and outreach can be virtual, reducing overall costs. The chair and members discussed scheduling and future meeting dates; the commission does not need to approve the operating budget at the meeting and no formal action to adopt the budget was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: staff will continue to manage operating costs and return any unspent funds to the Build Kansas Fund for project applicants; the commission chair asked members to watch email for scheduling updates to future meetings.