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Geary County finance director warns mill levy pressure; commissioners ask for scenarios and mandate cost estimates
Summary
Finance Director Tammy Robison presented 2027 budget worksheets showing a proposed levy of 64.124 mills, a revenue-neutral overage of about 10.343 mills (roughly $3.4 million) and carryover cash falling from prior years; commissioners asked staff to model scenarios, assemble department estimates of unfunded state mandates and prepare to notify the clerk if they intend to exceed the revenue-neutral rate.
Tammy Robison, Geary County finance director, told the Board of Commissioners at its June 22 budget work session that one mill in Geary County is worth $330,141 and that preliminary unadjusted requests put the proposed levy at 64.124 mills.
Robison said the revenue-neutral calculation shows the county would be about 10.343 mills over the revenue-neutral rate — approximately $3.4 million — if no adjustments are made. She also cited a delinquency figure of 1.73% and an NRP amount listed in the worksheets as $21,170,082.
The finance director walked commissioners through the worksheets comparing 2025 actuals, the 2026 budget and the proposed 2027 numbers. She said estimated beginning cash for 2026 was $10,162,382 and that working dollars entering 2027 were projected at about $6.1 million, down from a prior estimate of $7.3 million. She attributed much of the pressure to decreased revenues (loss of prior SRO grants, lower investment income, and a drop in sales tax) and fewer vacant positions that previously created one‑time carryovers.
Commissioners pressed staff on options to reduce levy pressure. Robison listed levers the board could consider: reduce the planned capital-improvement transfer (she had included $750,000 in the proposal), draw more from reserves, cut appropriations or transfers to special funds, or accept smaller cost-of-living adjustments. She cautioned that drawing down CIP or reserves would relieve near-term pressure but create higher needs in later years.
Several commissioners requested concrete scenarios and a simple spreadsheet showing the effect of specific cuts (for example, lowering the CIP transfer to $500,000 or cutting a fixed dollar amount from appropriations) so they can see multi-year impacts. Robison agreed to prepare scenario modeling and encouraged commissioners to submit their recommended cuts before the next work session.
The board also discussed state-mandated services. Commissioners asked county departments to identify services they are required to provide that are not funded by the state and to estimate the local dollar impact. Robison agreed to send a request to department heads with a suggested deadline of July 30 for estimates so the county can compile figures for legislative outreach.
On timing, the board discussed a statutory deadline and noted July 20 as the last day to notify the clerk about intent to exceed the revenue-neutral rate; Robison recommended giving notice to preserve flexibility while continuing to seek cuts. The board scheduled another budget work session for July 6 to review scenarios and department requests.
The finance director said the board faces unavoidable cost pressures — insurance increases, possible grant volatility, lower interest income and potential impacts from troop deployments on sales tax — and recommended conservative planning.
Robison closed by offering to meet with commissioners individually to walk through the numbers and produce the scenario spreadsheets requested.
The audit and next steps: staff will prepare scenario models for the July 6 work session and send a request to departments to deliver estimates of unfunded state-mandate costs by July 30. The board discussed but has not formally adopted any mill-levy changes.
