Fairway council approves 2025 budget, votes to exceed revenue‑neutral rate 7–1

The Fairway City Council voted 7–1 to approve the city’s 2025 budget and a resolution to levy a property‑tax rate exceeding the state‑calculated revenue‑neutral rate.

Mayor Melanie Hepperley opened a required public hearing on the measure before council members voted to adopt the budget and the 2025–2029 capital improvement plan. Councilmember David moved to approve the resolution and budget; Jerry Williams seconded the motion.

Nathan, the city’s presenting staff member, said the draft budget is built on a flat mill levy in the proposal — "a flat mill levy rate. This will be for the 9th consecutive year," he said — while the general fund (excluding reserves) increases about 8.49% to just over $7,000,000. Unrestricted reserves were described as "just over $1,100,000." The presentation also outlined transfers into the capital improvement program (just under $790,000), an equipment reserve increase, and a number of department requests including computers and continued payments for body and in‑car camera systems.

The resolution the council approved authorizes levying a property‑tax rate that will result in property‑tax revenue exceeding the revenue‑neutral calculation for Fairway; that revenue‑neutral rate had been calculated by the Johnson County clerk at 18.646 mills. Nathan and the mayor explained the statutory process is focused solely on property‑tax dollars and that the county may make small technical adjustments to the mill rate based on final valuations and appeals.

Public commenters raised questions about the local tax impact and how assessed valuations feed the revenue‑neutral calculation. Resident Jim Hafner asked for concrete household examples, citing numbers from county materials and asking "So what does this all mean now? How much more are you gonna want from me on the taxes compared to this?" Nathan responded that the city published a maximum mill levy of 19.930 for the hearing and that final county adjustments would be small fractions of a mill to align the dollar amount collected with the budgeted revenue.

Several speakers pressed for detail on how increases in property values affect city revenue. John Hale and other residents asked about the mechanics when a single property is torn down and rebuilt; council members and staff explained that the revenue‑neutral process is calculated on the total assessed valuation for the city year‑over‑year, so a single large reappraisal is included in the aggregate.

Councilmember Kellyanne Busick said she appreciated the work put into the budget but would vote no on the resolution and budget, citing concern for residents on fixed incomes. "How much is too much in tax revenue that we need?" she asked during public discussion and said she would vote no because of the potential impact on long‑time, fixed‑income residents.

At roll call the motion passed 7–1. The council directed that the resolution take effect immediately as written; the adoption includes the 2025 budget and the 2025–2029 capital improvement plan.

What the budget directs next: the adopted budget schedules transfers into the CIP through 2026, funds a range of department equipment and software needs, and continues planned stormwater and pool projects noted in the CIP. The city’s presentation materials list specific project placeholders, including an estimate to restore the Shawnee Mission Parkway tunnel and stepped funding for equipment reserves.

Council members said the city will continue to provide public information about how county valuation and appeals affect individual tax bills, and staff offered to meet with residents who requested examples or more detailed calculations. The council set no additional actions beyond the vote at the meeting.

The resolution and budget were adopted at the Sept. 9, 2024, meeting of the Fairway City Council; the council recorded seven yes votes and one no vote and adjourned the meeting afterward.