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Commission approves year-end budget amendments and $1.4 million in road-fund transfers
Summary
Leavenworth County approved amendments to multiple 2024 funds — employee benefits, juvenile detention, 911, solid waste — and approved transfers of $1,000,000 and $400,000 from road-related funds into the capital road fund after staff reported maintenance savings.
Leavenworth County commissioners approved a set of year-end budget amendments for 2024 and two interfund transfers totaling $1.4 million to the county’s capital road fund.
At a public hearing, staff explained the amendments were needed to align budget authority with actual expenditures and revenue. The four amendments presented were for employee benefits, juvenile detention, 911 and solid waste. County Administrator Mark Lothory and health-screening presenter Jamie told the board employee-benefit costs rose about 26% since the budget was set; that increase and other unanticipated charges required budget authority adjustments. Commissioners emphasized that the amendment process does not increase property taxes but reallocates existing available funds and carryover.
Jamie said 205 employees participated in the county health assessment this year; screenings produced carotid-artery results (including one critical finding) and other abnormalities that led at least one employee to obtain earlier care. Jamie and commissioners said the screenings can identify otherwise undetected conditions and that employee incentives had increased participation.
The juvenile detention amendment resulted from higher-than-expected use of Wyandotte County’s juvenile facility; the county had already spent and anticipated more detention days than forecast. The 911 fund, financed by communications taxes, is producing less revenue and required a transfer from the general fund to cover expenditures; solid-waste costs rose with increased transfer-station usage and vendor CPI adjustments.
After approving those amendments by roll call, the board heard from Bill, who described a change in chip-seal materials and an oil application that yielded an estimated $800,000 savings relative to earlier maintenance plans. Commissioners voted to transfer $1,000,000 from the Road & Bridge Fund and $400,000 from the Local Service Road & Bridge Fund into the Capital Road Fund so projects could be advanced on the county’s capital-improvement plan.
All motions on the budget amendments and the two transfers passed on 4–0 roll-call votes.
