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Bourbon County treasurer seeks higher publication and tax-statement budgets and flags motor-vehicle subsidy gap
Summary
The treasurer asked commissioners for modest increases to cover rising publication and tax-statement costs and said state reimbursement for motor-vehicle services has not kept pace, leaving the county to subsidize those operations.
Treasurer Jennifer presented the treasurer's 2026 budget request and told commissioners the office needs increases for publication and tax-statement costs and for modest wage adjustments to remain competitive.
She said state-mandated publications and tax-statement mailings have risen in price: the Fort Scott Tribune already notified the office of an 8.8% increase and the treasurer proposed a 15% budget allowance for publications and a 7% increase for the tax-statement line to cover printing, stuffing and postage. The treasurer also requested a 3% salary increase for office staff to improve competitiveness with neighboring counties.
Motor-vehicle operations: The treasurer described a structural mismatch between state-provided support and local costs for motor-vehicle services. Historically the state supplied computers and equipment; more recently the county has absorbed equipment and other costs while state fee payments have not increased. The treasurer said motor-vehicle work is partially funded by fees and is not fully budgeted in the county's general budget lines, complicating oversight.
Why it matters: The treasurer's office said staffing has shrunk over the last decade (from seven to four employees), and the motor-vehicle program requires county subsidies to cover work the state expects counties to perform. Commissioners asked for more granular numbers on motor-vehicle subsidy amounts; the treasurer said she did not have a ready total and would follow up with the auditors and county finance staff.
Other items: The treasurer described cost-saving efforts including use of outside mailers for tax notices (which get discounted postage) and periodic off-site tax-payment locations that help residents in distant towns. Office staff said overtime is rare and that they avoid underutilized assets.
Speakers quoted or identified in this article are Treasurer Jennifer (first referenced at 00:02:49) and Clerk Michelle Sharp (first referenced at 00:00:00) for procedural clarifications.
