Johnson County’s Board of County Commissioners’ Committee of the Whole reviewed the county manager’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget Tuesday, a $1.9 billion package the county manager and budget staff said holds the mill levy flat and avoids new county property-tax-funded full‑time equivalents for the coming year.

County Manager Penny Post Oak Ferguson said the proposed budget includes a flat mill levy of 24.125 mills and “there’s no new county property tax funded FTEs, and that's excluding parks and library.” She described the plan as “a very responsible budget” that preserves services while pursuing a multi‑year approach to fiscal health.

The proposal sets a 28% reserves target and estimates assessed valuation growth of about 6.12% for the coming year. Robin Symes, budget director, told the commissioners the county property‑tax‑supported portion of the budget is roughly $287 million after removing grant‑ and fee‑supported funds; county staff said operating expenditures total roughly $1.39 billion of the $1.9 billion package.

Why it matters: county officials told the board rising costs, slower revenue growth in assessed valuation and sales taxes, and reductions in revenue from state actions have tightened the county’s fiscal picture. The county reported an estimated $39.6 million impact in 2024 tied to state revenue changes and noted demographic shifts — especially an aging population — are increasing demand for services such as emergency medical response and nutrition programs.

Key details: Penny Post Oak Ferguson and Robin Symes gave the board a timeline for final decisions: department presentations run May 22–June 12, a deliberation session is scheduled for June 13, the board will set maximum expenditure June 26, hold a budget public hearing Aug. 20 at the Olathe Conference Center and adopt the budget Aug. 28. The staff also flagged a potential ballot item in 2027: renewal of the public safety sales tax as one option to diversify revenue without raising property taxes.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on which parts of the budget are ad valorem supported versus fee‑funded and asked that staff provide more fiscal notes on efficiency savings during department presentations. Commissioner Allen Brandt asked for more visible accounting of small-dollar savings that accumulate across departments; Robin Symes said those details would be included in forthcoming department briefings.

The manager’s presentation emphasized stewardship measures the county has taken, including maintaining its AAA bond rating and trimming employee turnover. Ferguson said the budget “allows us to continue our quality of services” while planning for future needs through reallocation and targeted one‑time uses of reserves.

Next steps: staff will present detailed departmental budgets in the coming weeks and return to the board for deliberation and adoption according to the schedule presented. Public open houses and a large-capacity public hearing in August are on the calendar for resident input.