County Officials Seek Funding for New Administrator Role

Budget and finance officer asks commissioners for guidance on 2027 budget planning.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 11:42pm

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A photorealistic painting of a county government building in warm, golden light, with deep shadows creating a contemplative, cinematic mood around the budgeting process.As Riley County officials grapple with funding a new county administrator role, the budgeting process takes on a pensive, introspective tone.Riley Today

As Riley County officials work on the budget framework for a new county administrator position, questions have arisen over how to account for this organizational change in the 2027 budget cycle. The county's budget and finance officer, Brittany Phillips, asked commissioners on Monday for direction on who should develop the operational budget and how to approach early budget projections for the new role.

Why it matters

The creation of a new county administrator position represents a significant organizational shift that will require careful budget planning and coordination. How Riley County chooses to fund and structure this new role could have implications for the county's finances and operations going forward.

The details

Phillips suggested drafting a budget proposal based on a department of similar size to the new administrator role, rather than just allocating a set amount, in order to provide a more informed starting point for the budget process. The commissioners will need to provide guidance on the budgeting approach as staff prepare early projections for the 2027 fiscal year.

  • The budget and finance officer, Brittany Phillips, made the request for direction during a meeting on Monday, March 30, 2026.

The players

Brittany Phillips

The budget and finance officer for Riley County who is seeking guidance from commissioners on how to approach budgeting for the new county administrator role.

Riley County

The county government in Kansas that is creating a new county administrator position and working through the budgeting process for this organizational change.

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What they’re saying

“If I can at least draft something to a department that's of a similar size, then that can give us something to kind of work with through the budget process, instead of just throwing … 'Here's $200,000 for your three Cs, figure it out,'”

— Brittany Phillips, Budget and Finance Officer

What’s next

The county commissioners will need to provide guidance to the budget and finance staff on how to approach the budgeting process for the new county administrator role as part of the 2027 fiscal year planning.

The takeaway

Establishing a new county administrator position is a significant organizational change that requires careful budget planning and coordination between county officials. The approach taken to fund and structure this new role could have lasting impacts on Riley County's finances and operations.