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County Economic Research Institute (SIRI) asks to hold funding flat; commissioners debate business model
Summary
Doug Davidson of the County Economic Research Institute (SIRI) presented the nonprofit’s longstanding role in providing local economic data and requested a flat FY2026 grant of $300,000. Commissioners questioned SIRI’s funding model and whether membership, reintegration with county government, or other revenue models should be explored.
Doug Davidson, director of the County Economic Research Institute (SIRI), told the Board of County Commissioners that SIRI requests a flat FY2026 grant of $300,000 — the same amount received in previous years and the same dollar figure the organization requested the first year it separated from county government in 1994.
Davidson reviewed SIRI’s small staff and overhead, described recent outputs (including an economic impact study for Johnson County airports and ongoing monthly nonresidential building permit compilation), and said some traditional revenue sources are constrained because more raw data are available online and data formats vary across cities. "Putting that data in a format that's accessible" and providing interpretation are SIRI’s primary services, he said.
Commissioners acknowledged SIRI’s long history but pressed for the organization to consider new business models. Commissioner Ashcraft suggested exploring membership fees or reintegration with county government; Commissioner Hanslick and others encouraged looking at partnerships with county departments to sustain essential services. Commissioner Brewer praised SIRI’s analytic role but noted the difficulty of converting back‑end contributions into directly measurable economic outcomes. Commissioner Myers called SIRI a "one‑stop shop" for local data and urged caution before altering a long‑standing model.
Davidson said SIRI has reduced staff over the decades as more data became routinized, and he noted data‑availability risks from federal budget cuts. Commissioners asked for further analysis of options — membership, reintegration, or different revenue streams — before deciding on any change to county support.
The recommended county contribution in the FY2026 budget document is $300,000, funded as a flat grant; the board had a policy discussion about longer‑term organizational structure and potential options to sustain SIRI’s services.
