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County finance official: property tax collections near budget while other revenues lag due to timing
Summary
Jennifer Sauer, Shawnee County financial administrator, reported that property tax collections are roughly 99% of budget through the third quarter, overall revenues trail the full-year budget mostly because of timing and lower interest receipts, and spending is tracking near historical patterns as staff begin year-end budget reviews.
Jennifer Sauer, Shawnee County financial administrator, presented the county's third-quarter financial overview on Nov. 13, saying the 2025 budget estimated just under $145 million in revenues and that revenues through the third quarter are roughly $135.65 million.
Sauer told commissioners that property taxes — the largest revenue source for the county — were budgeted at $109,628,000 for 2025 and that $108,519,000 has been collected so far, about 99% of the budgeted amount. "We do have one distribution that took place in October... so that number should bump up just a little bit and get us closer to the full amount that we had budgeted," she said.
She said other tax categories and 'other revenues' are behind last year's pace in part because of timing and lower interest rates. Sauer said the county budgeted about $12 million in other revenue for 2025 and had collected about $8.1 million through the third quarter (roughly 67% of that budget), and that interest receipts were a major factor in year-over-year differences.
On expenditures, Sauer reported the county has expended about 74.2% of its 2025 budget through the third quarter, roughly in line with historical trends. She noted law enforcement is the largest spending category and that some departments (for example, public health) are spending at a slower rate than in prior years.
Sauer said timing is a crucial factor: some revenues, including state reimbursements for inmate services and interest for late months, are routinely delayed and may be recorded backward into the correct budget year. She offered to provide a year-end forecast to the commission and said departments are beginning deeper budget dives in November.
The commission asked several clarifying questions about the pace of "other revenues" and whether the county would end the year under budget; Sauer said she expected to provide a forecast and did not anticipate a dramatic shortfall.
The commission took no formal action on the presentation; staff will continue department-level budget reviews and report back if any concerns arise.
