Despite hundreds of millions of dollars in reserve, Johnson County Commissioners are planning to raise property taxes by 6.5% next year. According to the proposed budget, commissioners and county staff want a $22.5 million tax increase, on top of last year’s $27 million increase.
The Johnson County general fund, which gets the largest property tax allocation, is projected to have a $220 million ending cash balance that accounts for about 45% of expenditures. That’s about four times the necessary cash reserve. The Library and Parks & Recreation funds would finish next year with $33 million in cash reserves that represent about a quarter of expenditures, or more than double the needed amount. Total cash reserves would exceed $500 million.
Kansas Policy Institute and Sentinel CEO Dave Trabert put the cash reserves in perspective:…