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Commission trims district court contractual request; staff say wages are state-funded
Summary
The board reduced the district court contractual line by $20,000 and set the 2026 county budget for district court at $210,300. County staff said district court wages are paid by the state and that there is no written county obligation for an outside program referenced in discussion.
Commissioners reviewed the district court budget request for 2026 and voted to reduce the contractual line by $20,000, setting the county portion of the district court budget at $210,300.
County staff explained that district court salaries are paid by the state of Kansas; county-funded items include jury duty, utilities and commodities. Commissioners discussed an increase in contractual expenses and asked for a breakdown. Staff located a document with further detail during the meeting and promised to circulate it for review. When public speakers raised the issue of previously budgeted funds for an outside program called STARS, county staff said they found no written resolution, memorandum of understanding or contract that would obligate the county to fund STARS; the county’s prior budget allocation therefore carried no conditions to direct how those funds had to be spent.
Following discussion, a motion to reduce the district court contractual request and set the 2026 county contribution at $210,300 passed by voice vote. Commissioners directed staff to confirm reserves and follow up with district court administrators as needed.
