photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Douglas County commissioners met on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

Douglas County commissioners approved changes to the county’s employee health care plan on Wednesday in order to keep the plan financially stable for the rest of the year.

As the Journal-World reported, in 2025, health care costs had exceeded the budget by $300,000, and current projections show that spending is continuing to rise. These increases are largely due to a significant increase in high-cost medical claims. Looking ahead, the county is anticipating total health care costs to increase by about 14% for the 2026-2027 plan year, reaching roughly $13 million.

To address the increase, county staff recommended higher deductibles and copays for some services along with adjustments to prescription drug coverage to better control costs. The recommended option – which was unanimously approved by the County Commission on Wednesday – would increase employee and retiree contributions by about 7% while significantly increasing the county’s share by over 36%.

When staff re-estimated the 2026 budget with current enrollment data, they determined that costs will exceed the budget by approximately $1.75 million under the first option. In addition, staff are planning to rely on existing reserves, which are projected to drop sharply from about $6.8 million to under $3 million.

Commissioner Shannon Reid said the plan changes did make sense for the circumstances, and hopes there will be further discussion later this year to make sure the Employee Benefits Fund will continue to be sustained.

County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said she intends to propose keeping the property tax rate, or mill levy, flat for 2027, adding that staff will consider funds from existing balances to address the anticipated shortfall as the budget is drafted.

“I do think that one of the challenges that … (we) will have as we go into the 2027 budget is how we will move some additional mill levy from somewhere else in the budget to the Employee Benefits Fund because I don’t think with this amount of claims the current mill levy can sustain it,” Plinsky said.

This estimate reflects the county’s transition to using administrative services from UnitedHealthcare, which was approved by commissioners in February, as the Journal-World reported. If the county hadn’t begun utilizing its services, the projected health care cost increases would be closer to 21%.

Reid said in a combination of all these efforts, “I’m hopeful that we have some good news come budget time.”

IN OTHER BUSINESS, COMMISSIONERS:

• Discussed Consolidated Fire District No. 1’s Capital Improvement Plan, CIP, for 2026-2031 during a work session. The CIP outlines a structured approach for the department’s $11.6 million planned investment in apparatus, equipment, facilities and infrastructure over the next five years.

The fire district currently maintains a CIP reserve balance of approximately $950,000, and the fund contributes $300,000 annually. Over the period of the CIP, this funding will provide around $2.75 million in baseline funding. While this supports near-term capital priorities, a memo in the agenda said it will not fund all identified needs.

• Heard an update from Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association, an organization providing comprehensive home health and hospice care. Each year, the organization receives $260,000 from the county to provide skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology, medical social work and more to residents in the county regardless of their ability to pay for services.

• Heard an update from lobbying and advocacy firm Little Government Relations on the activities of the Kansas Legislature, which is at the end of its legislative session.

• Created a position to serve as the property crime compensation coordinator costing about $15,700 per year, and a person would be appointed to the position by the District Attorney. Douglas County created a property crime compensation fund in 2009, and each year, the county sets aside $20,000 to pay claims, and any unused money goes back into the general fund. The District Attorney’s Office also helps fund it by collecting diversion fees, which brought in about $21,000 in both 2024 and 2025.

• Approved an upgrade for electronic pollbooks for the County Clerk’s Office in the amount of $111,945 from Knowink, Inc. The purchase of the current system was in 2016, and a memo in the agenda said the equipment is no longer usable. The upgrade will be fully funded by the County Clerk’s Equipment Reserve Fund.

• Formally acknowledged the county’s application for High-Risk Rural Roads program funding, which focuses on enhancing the safety of rural roadways. The county was awarded $250,000 in funding from the Kansas Department of Transportation to replace 1,610 feet of guardrail at North 950 Road and East 550 Road in Douglas County. The county will be required to contribute $22,000, as the Journal-World reported. Construction of the guardrail improvements will be completed in 2028.

• Directed staff to place the 2026 Vegetation Management Plan on the agenda for the County Commission’s next business meeting for review, public input and consideration by commissioners. The plan was first adopted in 2022 to direct daily operations including roadside mowing, park maintenance, revegetation practices, herbicide use and noxious weed control. The plan has a two-year cycle, and the last plan was approved in 2024.

• Executed a contract with Shawnee Mission Ford for a 2026 Ford F-550 in the amount of $75,711 for the Public Works department as well as a separate contract with American Equipment Co. for installing a flatbed, spreader and plow in the amount of $63,129. The total vehicle cost is $138,840.

• Determined a bridge replacement project as necessary and authorized the Public Works Department to solicit construction bids to replace a bridge at North 1600 Road, 0.3 miles west of Stull. The current bridge has a narrow width, poor concrete condition and restricted channel alignment. Construction is scheduled for 2027.