𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 $𝟏.𝟏 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲/𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.⁣
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Subject: FY2027 Budget and Revenue Neutral Rate⁣
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Dear Mayor Sayers and City Council,⁣
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Before voting on the FY2027 budget Tuesday, I am asking you to seriously consider adopting the Revenue Neutral Rate.⁣
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The City has now confirmed that doing so would not reduce projected reserve balances. Instead, it would require approximately $1.1 million in reductions to ongoing expenditures.⁣
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Lenexa’s proposed FY2027 budget includes $178.9 million in expenditures and approximately $96.3 million in estimated year-end reserves. The General Fund reserve is projected at 38%, above the City’s 35% policy target.⁣
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I appreciate the value of conservative budgeting, strong reserves and maintaining Lenexa’s AAA credit rating. I also appreciate the City’s efforts to reduce the mill levy over the last several years.⁣
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But strong financial management should also include asking when enough cushion is enough.⁣
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The City has acknowledged that favorable financial results can be used to cash-fund capital projects and reduce future borrowing. That can be a responsible strategy, but it also means taxpayers are being asked to contribute an additional $1.1 million today to preserve spending capacity for the future.⁣
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Before approving a property tax rate above revenue neutral, please ask whether $1.1 million (roughly 0.6% of proposed expenditures) can reasonably be reduced without harming essential services. If it can, I ask you to leave that money with taxpayers.⁣
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Thank you for your consideration and for representing Lenexa residents.