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Shawnee finance staff outline modest 2026 increase; city continues push toward self-insurance
Summary
Finance staff presented a modest staffing- and contract-driven increase in the 2026 finance budget and described steps toward building a risk mitigation fund to support self-insurance and potential premium savings.
A finance staff member identified in the meeting as Sean presented the finance division’s 2026 request and described a small net increase driven by personnel costs and contract inflation for budgeting and payroll software.
“We spend money out of 1 fund. We don't have any transfers to other funds, so we'll we'll keep it simple,” the presenter said, summarizing the division’s approach to the finance budget.
Why it matters: Finance oversees the city’s funds, debt issuance and investment policy; changes to reserves and the move toward partial self-insurance affect the city’s long-term fiscal position and liabilities.
The presenter said turnover in recent years led to a younger finance staff and that the department is prioritizing training and procurement process improvements. Kimberly, the new budget and purchasing specialist, is working on procurement protocols and cooperative agreement use to standardize purchasing and identify savings.
On risk and insurance, the presenter said he has tasked the city’s broker with analyzing market conditions and identifying options to assume more risk in targeted packages in exchange for lower premiums. That work is intended to inform whether the city should use reserve dollars held in a risk mitigation fund rather than pay higher insurance premiums. The presenter said the city is working to build that fund and use it to pay losses rather than submit claims when appropriate.
The finance slides showed a $73,000 increase in the division’s requested budget for 2026, largely tied to personnel and contractual increases. The presenter said staff will continue to track midyear renewals and will report findings from the broker in the weeks ahead.
Ending: The presentation was informational. Council members asked about progress toward self-insurance and the adequacy of reserve use; staff said follow-up work with the broker and additional reporting will come back to the council.
