Scotts Bluff County commissioners and department heads this week formally started budgetary work with workshops reviewing proposed spending for the coming fiscal year.
Very preliminary figures showed a $4.2 million difference between last year’s tax asking of $13.5 million and what would be needed from property taxes to meet budgets as originally submitted.
Commissioner Mark Harris expressed the general mood of the Board when it came to how they’re approaching the budget. “I’m on a mission to see us at the 2.5% or less level. And that, in the overall scheme of things is going to mean overall, in all budgets combined, that we’re headed to that,” said Harris, addressing Ashle Powell with the GIS Department. “So, I don’t have a whole lot to say about your budget, amount this year compared to last year.”
Several departments had initial budgets where considerably more property tax revenue was needed to meet their proposed spending, including the County Court, Sheriff and Detention Center, Assessor, Roads, and the Comm Center.
If the county can keep any property tax increase at no more than 2.5 percent, it would avoid the joint meeting for districts that go higher than that figure.
