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Shawnee County commissioners press departments for $2.7M in additional budget cuts ahead of levy hearing
Summary
County finance staff report departments have identified savings but the commission still needs $2,711,000 to meet the budget target; commissioners instructed departments to return next week prepared to show impacts of 4-5% reductions.
Shawnee County finance staff told commissioners on July 28 that departments have identified some savings for the county—s 2026 budget but the county still must find about $2.71 million more to meet the mill levy cap the commission set earlier this year.
Jennifer Sauer, the county financial administrator, told the board the commission previously set the maximum estimated mill levy for the 2026 budget at 49.326 mills and that departments collectively still need to find $2,711,000 in reductions after earlier rounds of proposed cuts.
Departments reported a range of potential savings. The Department of Corrections proposed reducing new mental-health corrections positions from 33 to 23 and adjusted several start dates, yielding about $927,000 in reductions. Public Works identified roughly $500,000 of reductions through vacant and idled positions and end-of-year transfers. Parks and Recreation estimated about $500,000 in cuts largely via five vacant full-time positions and changes to seasonal staffing. Other reductions came from the district attorney—s office (about $33,290), emergency management (roughly $21,800) and smaller adjustments across IT, the appraiser—s office and others.
Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the public expectation to find budget savings and said any further reductions would likely require cutting programs, projects or personnel. "When we start talking about cuts, we recognize as commissioners that you're either going to have to cut programs that you're currently doing, projects that you want to do, or people," Commissioner Bill Rippon said during the meeting.
Sheriff—s Office officials explained a large part of their 2026 increase request is wage and benefit costs tied to recently negotiated bargaining-unit raises and command staff increases; excluding wages and benefits the sheriff described an approximately $420,000 operational increase. The sheriff's office and Department of Corrections discussed delaying hiring timelines as a way to reduce near-term costs; delaying hiring of some corrections positions a quarter could save roughly $530,000, staff estimated.
The commission instructed staff to call department heads and partners to attend the next meeting prepared to respond to a hypothetical 4%-5% across-the-board reduction and to identify whether cuts would hit programs, projects or personnel. Commissioners noted a public hearing on the revenue-neutral rate is scheduled for Sept. 8 and advised the board should have clearer numbers before that date.
No formal budget adoption occurred at the meeting; commissioners set follow-up meetings and asked finance and HR to provide vacancy and cost breakdowns for impacted departments.
