Commissioners OK $11.4 million budget on $3.9 million in local property taxes

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

McCOOK, Neb. — With no input from the public, Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning approved the county’s 2017-18 $11.4 million budget supported by $3,918,018 in taxes.

Following a special hearing at which no one from the public appeared, commissioners set the final $3.9 million tax request, an increase of $182,615 from 2016-17.

The final tax levy for 2017-18 will be $0.302105 per $100 of valuation, up just a little more than one-half cent from $0.296453 in 2016-17.

The budget for the county-owned nursing home is $7,644.951 (and is not included with the $11.4 million county budget). Other than construction/remodeling bond payments that the county pays, Hillcrest is operated and maintained by its own revenue.

Commissioners authorized two transfers within the budget:

— $277,000 from the general fund to the county road/bridge fund; and

— $732,975 from the general fund to the self-insurance fund.

They also adopted a resolution to allow a transfer of$710,000 from the county’s inheritance fund to the general fund, “as needed … only if it’s absolutely necessary,” said commission chairman Earl McNutt.

McNutt said he hopes “the senators leave us alone,” meaning he does not want state senators to take inheritance taxes away from the counties.

“We use our inheritance taxes for a good purpose,” he said. “We don’t just stockpile it away.”

On a unanimous vote, commissioners increased the county’s base of restricted funds (money raised through taxes) authority by an additional 1 percent, on top of the 21⁄2 percent growth allowed each year. Dan Miller, who prepares the budget for the county, explained to new commissioner Jacque Riener that the state instituted the 21⁄2 percent annual growth limit in restricted funds about 10 years ago, in addition to the 1 percent additional increase, as a way to limit the growth of government, limiting how fast restricted funds can go up.

County officials can increase the base of their county’s restricted funds authority, but that doesn’t mean they have to access it. Commissioner Steve Downer said the county’s budget is “always at the mercy of the state and federal governments.” The 31⁄2 percent allowable growth is beneficial if there are unfunded mandates from the state and/or federal governments, he said.

Commissioners said they want to see no growth in 2018-19 budgets for the county’s health department, which requested $57,475 in tax funding in its 2017-18 budget, and for the county fair, which McNutt said has “plenty of cushions” written into it each year.

Miller will submit the county’s final budget electronically to the Nebraska Department of Revenue by Wednesday, Sept. 20.

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  • Why does thecity budget get blasted if they think of an increase while the county, with millions more valuation increases, receives no comment for their increase?

    -- Posted by dennis on Tue, Sep 12, 2017, at 2:24 PM
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