Johnson County manager’s proposed budget would hold property tax rate steady for 2020

The county budget envisioned by County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson Thursday proposes keeping the tax rate at a constant 26.013 mills for 2020 — although property values are expected to continue to climb.

The $1.265 billion budget calls for a $934.5 million in total spending, with $331.4 million in reserves. That number includes the wastewater and airport budgets, which are funded by user fees; parks and the library, which have their own property tax levies; and expenditures supported by grants or other funds. When those expenses are removed, the county would spend $410.3 million. The spending proposed by the county manager is intended to meet the priorities set by the commission and by the survey of county residents, Postoak Ferguson said. To that end, the budget provides funding for operating costs at the new medical examiner facility currently under construction, and adds funding for vulnerable populations through mental health, human services departments and United Community Services. The budget also includes $500,000 to extend the micro transit pilot program that is scheduled to expire in June.

The county’s payroll would also increase under the proposal, with positions added at mental health department and the district attorney’s office. The budget calls for 4,065.6 full-time equivalent employees in 2020, which is up from 4,008 last year. However Postoak Ferguson said the county still has fewer positions for its population than it did before the recession.