Hutchinson County commissioners approve budget amendments and hear department requests

Hutchinson County commissioners voted to approve a set of budget transfers and amendments tied in part to the county's planned purchase of an "airport house," then moved into a workshop where department heads outlined several requested changes to next year's budget.

The motion to approve the transfers and non-transfers as presented passed after a second and an "all in favor" vote. Commissioners said the transfers include short-term borrowing or contingency use that will be reconciled when the airport-house closing occurs.

County technology and information systems needs were a recurring topic. Mark told the court his department added an $11,000 request for computer maintenance to cover a newly shared tech service and unexpected storage fees, which he estimated at roughly $3,000 to $5,000 a year; he said he offset $800 from other lines and described the net impact as approximately $200 in additional county spending.

Judicial and public-safety budget lines drew attention. A judge participating in the workshop said this is an election year and asked that funding for a required bond be included; staff recommended budgeting $150 to $200 to be safe. Commissioners also reviewed the county's autopsy budget, noting current allocations cover roughly seven autopsies while historical annual deaths have ranged from about 25 to 50. Officials agreed contingency funds exist to handle spikes but urged monitoring and possible adjustments.

Angelica, who described activity for her constable office and presented case counts and revenue details, asked commissioners to consider a lifetime association membership purchase and later raised the possibility of a salary supplement tied to certification pay; she reduced a proposed bond request to $150 and said last year's one-time equipment support allowed her to cut equipment requests this cycle.

Emergency Management official Jerry said his office sought modest increases for Everbridge notification services and incident-management software and requested $3,500 for siren activation services and tower maintenance after a prior air-conditioning failure at a county tower. He proposed starting a new coordinator at about $51,912, roughly $5,000 below the current salary line, paired with short training-period payroll adjustments.

Roads and maintenance staff warned of underbuilt parts and supplies lines after using reserves for multiple years. One speaker asked that the parts/repairs line be raised to $115,000 to restock filters, mower blades and spares, citing long vendor lead times and equipment coming off warranty. Commissioners cited three-year spending patterns and negotiated toward a smaller increase (discussion centered on roughly $105,000) and asked staff to provide a prioritized list of anticipated replacements before finalizing that line.

Other items included a review of uniform-cleaning counts tied to a vendor contract and an extended discussion of Senate Bill 22 grant rules. Staff said the county expects a $175,000 SB22 allocation for FY25 but warned that unused grant funds and any interest earned may need to be returned; commissioners urged planning to use the funds within the statute's limits, which staff said are primarily for certain salaries and related hires.

Lisa told the court the revenue worksheet provided by the state contained an error; a corrected worksheet is expected and staff will circulate an updated budget and dashboard before the next meeting. With follow-up tasks assigned ' including a parts-priority list and the corrected revenue figures ' the court moved to adjourn.

The court did not take further formal votes on individual departmental increases at the workshop; commissioners asked staff to return with clarified line-item requests and supporting detail before approving additional changes.