The city of Prairie Village is estimating $30 million in general fund revenues with its 2026 budget.
On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council reviewed forecasted budget revenues for 2026, which includes property tax, sales tax and franchise fee revenues. (See coverage about last year’s budget here.)
The city council during the council committee of the whole meeting also approved several committee budget requests, which city staff will bake into the budget ahead of the city council formally adopting the 2026 budget later this year.
Prairie Village eyes $30M general fund revenues in 2026
- The 2026 budget estimates the city to take in $12.4 million in property tax revenues, which accounts for 41% of general fund revenues, according to city documents.
- Prairie Village anticipates holding the mill levy rate flat at 18.326, but property tax revenues are expected to increase from the 2025 budget due to property values increasing, according to city documents.
- Sales taxes account for nearly $6.8 million in 2026 revenues, according to city documents.
- The city anticipates bringing in $2.9 million in use taxes, $2.4 million in charges for services and nearly $2 million more in franchise fees in 2026.
City council OKs committee budgets
The city council during the council committee of the whole meeting on Monday unanimously accepted the following committee budgets:
- A $46,000 request for the VillageFest committee budget in 2026, which increased due to an anticipated higher turnout from the 2026 World Cup.
- As in the past few years, a request from the JazzFest committee in the now-typical amount of $35,000.
- A $10,900 request from the environmental committee.
The city’s arts council requested $15,000 for its 2026 budget (a $5,000 increase from last year’s budget), as well as a $10,000 contribution to the city’s public arts fund. The city council voted 9-3 to approve those requests. Councilmembers Lori Sharp, Nick Reddell and Terrence Gallagher voted in dissent.
The arts council’s budget is used for events like bi-monthly art exhibits, State of the Arts, and Art of Photography. The city’s public arts fund, an initiative started just a couple of years ago, is used to buy and install public art and place it in the city.
The arts council, via city documents, says its budget request increased from $10,000 last year to $15,000 this year to cover increasing costs “of food and supplies at events.” Alcohol is sometimes served at arts council events, which Sharp opposed as part of her reason for voting no. She also took issue with the arts council asking for a $5,000 increase in its budget next year.
The city council also voted 10-2 to approve the diversity committee’s budget request of $26,500. Sharp and Reddell also cast the dissenting votes. This figure includes $11,500 for the committee budget — to go toward things like the annual MLK celebration or town hall events — and $15,000 earmarked for the city’s Juneteenth celebration. Sharp particularly picked apart the diversity committee’s budget funding set aside for Juneteenth.
All of the aforementioned committee budgets are funded through the city’s transient guest tax revenues, which City Administrator Wes Jordan reminded the city council on Monday are limited to uses that promote tourism.
Next steps:
- The city council will discuss the capital improvement program and annual road condition report at its May 5 meeting.
- The finance committee will review the budget and any decision packages on May 13, and continue that discussion to May 22. Both finance committee meetings are scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m.
- The city council will review the preliminary 2026 budget at its June 2 meeting, and if needed, consider a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate at its July 7 meeting.
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