𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧⁣

Every budget is an estimate. Revenue can come in higher than expected. Projects can be delayed. Departments may spend less than planned.⁣

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.⁣

Over the last several years, the City has consistently finished with more money than it originally projected.⁣

Some of that difference comes from higher-than-expected revenue. Some comes from spending less than planned. And some carries forward because one year’s ending balance becomes the next year’s starting balance.⁣

Conservative budgeting can help protect against economic downturns, unexpected costs, and other surprises. But the pattern matters because Lenexa has also chosen to collect property taxes above the Revenue Neutral Rate each year reviewed.⁣

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲:⁣

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: $3.0 million above Revenue Neutral⁣

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: $1.9 million⁣

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: $2.1 million⁣

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 (𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝): $1.1 million⁣

The City says that additional revenue helps maintain services, keep up with inflation, and serve a growing community.⁣

At the same time, the City has consistently finished the year with stronger financial results than it originally projected, and some of those General Fund resources have later supported reserves and capital projects.⁣

Both things may be true. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐛𝐲-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.⁣

𝐈𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?⁣

This does not prove the City intentionally overcharged taxpayers. It does show why the historical results matter when the City says additional property-tax revenue is necessary.