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Shawnee County staff budget $1M for possible new borrowing as debt payments fall by about $2M
Summary
County finance staff told commissioners that routine debt payments will drop roughly $2 million over the next two years, but recommended keeping about $1 million in the 2027 budget as a placeholder for potential new borrowing to advance capital projects such as parks, a conference center renovation and courthouse work.
Jennifer, the audit and finance presenter, told the Board of County Commissioners that the audit finance office is requesting only MSA 1 (salary and benefit) increases for 2027 and that most other audit finance lines showed little change. She said multiple certificates of participation and special debt obligations are scheduled to fall off in 2027–2028, producing an estimated reduction of roughly $2,000,000 in annual debt payments.
“There's debt that falls off correspondingly for those GO bonds that were to fund our specials,” Jennifer said, describing the timing of COPs and the net effect on debt service. She said the department budgeted the debt service flat for 2027 but included a little over $1,000,000 as funding for potential new debt depending on capital priorities and market conditions.
Commissioners pressed on likely capital uses that could prompt borrowing, citing projects such as renovation of the Mainer Conference Center, parks improvements including ball fields and a community center in the Shawnee North area, and major courthouse restroom renovations. Commissioner Mason noted the county’s current debt-service burden is low—about 4% of the budget—compared with the 10–15% typical for municipalities, and said lower existing debt gives the county room to borrow for large projects when appropriate.
Jennifer said the $1 million placeholder was intended to keep options open while the county completes capital-outlay discussions and the capital improvement plan process in August and September. She described a scenario in which roughly $10 million in capital funding would shift some payments but leave the county’s overall debt trajectory manageable.
Facilities staff and other department presenters flagged specific capital requests that feed into the larger borrowing question. Justin Landon, facilities manager, said courthouse restroom renovations will require more funding beyond amounts already allocated and listed other CIP items such as North Annex carpet replacement and an elections-office HVAC shortfall (about $75,000). Jennifer also noted that the elections office and the sheriff’s office each submitted capital-outlay requests exceeding $2,000,000, figures that would substantially use the county’s available capital-outlay budget if fully funded.
No formal borrowing decision was made; commissioners directed staff to continue CIP work and return with more detailed cost and timing options during the upcoming budget meetings and the capital improvement plan discussions.
The commission recessed with the debt posture and capital needs framed as central topics to resolve in August and September’s budget work sessions.
