Johnson County's $1.91 billion budget proposal heads public hearing tonight

OLATHE, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.

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Johnson County residents have one final opportunity to review the county's finances and share concerns about the 2027 budget Tuesday night.

The proposed budget carries a $1.91 billion price tag. County officials say they worked to find ways to fund services without relying heavily on property tax revenue — a consistent concern among residents.

The proposed budget does not add any new full-time positions funded by property taxes. Instead, the county looked for savings by combining positions or departments, partnering with other organizations, and changing how some services are provided. Those changes saved about $15 million.

The goal is to maintain services — including public safety, roads, wastewater and parks — but with the population growing and the cost of services increasing, board chairman Mike Kelly says the county will need to find other sources of revenue in the long term.

KSHB

"We want to make sure that we can provide the same great quality of life and world-class outcomes that we expect in Johnson County, while being as efficient as possible,” said Kelly. “Whether that means cutting spending, whether that means combining departments, whether that means a hiring freeze or actually eliminating positions, all of which we're doing within this year's budget."

The final public hearing is Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at the Olathe Conference Center. After the hearing, the county board will move toward final approval, which is scheduled for Sept. 3.

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