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Commissioners set priorities for 2026 budget: county services first, outside agencies second; ask departments to model cuts
Summary
At a March 25 work session the commission directed staff to prioritize essential county services over outside agencies when crafting the 2026 budget, asked departments to produce 2% (and some discussed 3%) reduction scenarios, and discussed possible revenue changes from state action affecting corrections funding.
The Saline County Board of Commissioners on March 25 discussed budget priorities for fiscal year 2026 and gave staff direction to emphasize essential county services before considering appropriations for outside agencies.
County Administrator Philip Haines briefed the commission on the schedule and possible state-level changes, noting ongoing legislative activity. Haines described a pending conference committee report he understood would tie county revenue to a "revenue neutral rate plus inflation of up to 4%." "We're moving forward on the schedule that we need to do to adopt a budget pursuant to current law," Haines said, adding staff will monitor any legislative changes that could affect revenues.
Several commissioners said outside agencies should be considered only after the county funds essential services. Commissioners asked department heads to prepare contingency scenarios showing the effect of a 2% budget reduction (some commissioners referenced a 3% scenario as previously used). One commissioner said capturing taxable value from new construction and avoiding across-the-board property tax increases should be priorities. Another asked that outside agencies provide more detail on funding requests before appropriations are considered, including how many buildings an agency owns, what tax abatements it receives and the specific county-funded services or client groups the requested dollars would serve.
Commissioners also discussed corrections funding. Haines said the Kansas Department of Corrections had signaled possible formula changes that could reduce adult funding for judicial districts; the earliest impact would be fiscal year 2027 with a potential three-year phase-in, though no final formula was set. Haines said juvenile funding was not affected at this time.
The commission asked staff to convey the board's priorities to departments and outside agencies, seek detailed justification for outside-agency requests, and prepare department-level scenarios showing the implication of a 2% budget reduction.
No formal votes were taken on budget policies during the meeting; the item was informational and provided direction to staff.
