Allen County commissioners are facing difficult budget decisions as they work to trim approximately $1.7 million from the proposed 2027 budget while also addressing a projected shortfall in the county’s ambulance fund before the end of this year.
Rodney Burns, a Chanute accountant, presented commissioners with an initial draft budget, explaining it reflected the highest possible spending scenario by assuming every department’s requests for 2027 would be fulfilled and that they would exhaust their budgets. Under that scenario, the county’s mill levy would increase by 8.9 mills.
Commission Chairman David Lee estimated the county would need to reduce spending by roughly $1.7 million to return to last year’s mill levy. Burns agreed with that estimate but first pointed to a more immediate concern.
“If we spend the full budget this year, it’s going to be in the red, about $200,000 at the end of the year,” Burns said.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels noted the ambulance fund has routinely fallen short by about $200,000 to $300,000 each year.
Burns suggested covering this year’s deficit by transferring money from the county’s $300,000 capital improvement fund, which has been built over several years as a reserve for unexpected building repairs.
County Clerk Shannon Patterson said the reserve had originally been intended to begin saving for a future courthouse roof but was essentially serving as a contingency fund.
Lee questioned whether some of the county’s Prairie Queen Wind Farm payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) revenue could also be used.
Patterson estimated approximately $400,000 would remain from next year’s PILOT payment after accounting for the purchase of new 911 consoles.
Lee also asked what tax revenue could be expected once the 10-year PILOT agreement expires. Burns said the county first began receiving payments in 2020, leaving three years remaining under the agreement.
Rather than depleting the capital improvement reserve, Lee proposed using money from both funding sources. “My suggestion is that we use some of it, but not all of it,” he said.
Commissioners agreed to transfer $150,000 from the capital improvement fund and $50,000 from the PILOT funds to solve the projected ambulance fund deficit while preserving money for future courthouse roof repairs.
ATTENTION then shifted to the more significant challenge of preparing the 2027 budget.
Daniels said increased property valuations are expected to generate about $500,000 in additional revenue, but requested spending increases total approximately $2.3 million, leaving commissioners with about $1.7 million to cut if they hope to maintain a similar mill levy.
Lee cautioned against applying an across-the-board percentage cut to every department. “I’ve heard some people say if the county would just cut 10% across the board,” he said. “But all these people who say that live in a community where they have a city government that takes care of their roads and their alleys and stuff like that. What does that do to the folks that live out in the country? I think we have to be careful as we think through this.”
Brocker agreed the county represents only one portion of a property owner’s overall tax bill. County Counsel Bob Johnson noted the county accounts for about 30% of the total property tax bill.
