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Shawnee County financial administrator: property taxes are 80% of revenue; third-quarter results near budget
Summary
Financial administrator Jennifer Sauer told commissioners that through the third quarter Shawnee County had collected roughly $108.5 million of a $109.6 million property tax budget, with total revenues year-to-date reported near $135.65 million; timing and interest-rate changes affect other revenue categories.
Jennifer Sauer, Shawnee County’s financial administrator, gave the board a third-quarter fiscal overview on Nov. 13, saying property taxes remain the county’s largest revenue source and that overall revenues through the third quarter were close to budget.
Sauer said the county’s 2025 revenue budget was about $145 million and that year-to-date revenues through the third quarter were reported at approximately $135.65 million (transcript phrasing in one place was ambiguous; the figure is presented as $135,650,000 in administrative slides). She said property taxes were budgeted at $109,628,000 and that $108,519,000 had been collected so far — roughly 99% of the budget — with an October distribution still expected to add to that total.
Sauer described other tax revenues (budgeted $15,932,000; $13,095,000 collected to date, about 82% of budget), charges for services (budget $7,381,000; $5,926,000 collected, ~80.3%), and other revenues (budget $12,000,000; roughly $8,000,001 collected, ~67.4%). She said higher interest earnings in 2024 distorted comparisons and that falling interest rates are reducing the county’s non-property revenue streams.
On the expenditure side, Sauer said the 2025 expense budget was about $145.475 million with year-to-date expenses just under $108 million. She said law enforcement represents the largest share of spending and that departmental spending rates are generally close to historical patterns, though public health and public works showed some variance; public works typically receives an end-of-year transfer that adjusts spending percentages.
During questions, commissioners expressed concern about apparent shortfalls in ‘‘other revenues.’’ Sauer explained timing differences and delayed receipts — notably state payments for inmate services that can be months late — and offered to provide a year-end forecast. She said she did not expect a dramatic shortfall and emphasized that some revenues received late will be posted to the year in which they were earned.
No formal budget decisions or votes were taken at the session; Sauer said staff will continue deeper departmental budget reviews in November and will notify commissioners if any department causes concern.
