Budgeting and Finance is a required role of the county commission as well as other elected officials and staff. The number and scope of county services have expanded in response to intergovernmental mandates and long devolution trends. The dizzying pace of technology innovations promises long-term efficiencies for county operations, but in the short run, requires a significant financial investment. This course defines the role of the county commission as financial policy makers and related roles of citizens, other elected officials, and staff. In addition, this class will address current tips on how to manage the Revenue Neutral Rate (i.e., Truth in Taxation) in your county.

• Establish the legal parameters for the county budget and identify the functions of a capital and annual operating budget.
• Propose processes for preparing, adopting, and managing the budget.
• Explain how county government is financed and suggest techniques for estimating county revenues.
• Identify leadership strategies that contribute to wise, effective, and responsible financial decisions.
• Identify how to challenge county department heads and staff, and outside agencies to the county to use the budget process to think more strategically, more seriously, and more collaboratively about how goals can be accomplished in more creative and cost-effective ways.
• Consider the adequacy of cash balances or reserves, i.e., how much is enough, not enough, or too much, and how cash balances can be managed.
• Evaluate revenue sources other than the property tax to finance county programs and services.
• Consider how the county’s fund structure enables or detracts from the ability of the board of county commissioners to effectively manage the county budget.
• Learn ways to effectively communicate county budget information to citizens, groups, and the news media.

Instructor: Ryan Adkison is the Assistant County Administrator/Finance Director for Butler County. One of his primary duties is crafting the organization’s annual CIP/operating budget, which has won the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award the past seven years. Ryan received his undergraduate degree from Emporia State University in Political Science, where he played basketball and married his beautiful bride. He received a Master’s of Public Administration from the Hugo Wall School at Wichita State University. Ryan then worked in the Budget Office and Pension Office at the City of Wichita before moving to Butler County.

For more information on KAC's Institute of Excellence: Foundations in County Government program, click here. 

For questions or registration assistance, please contact Kimberly Qualls, KAC Education & Communications Director, via email: qualls@kansascounties.org or phone: 785.213.4717.