Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Harvey County presents proposed 2026 budget citing road costs, staff pay, jail revenue shortfall and courthouse remodel
Summary
County staff outlined a recommended 2026 budget that would raise the mill levy to address rising road and personnel costs, a projected drop in federal jail revenue, a courthouse remodel and the addition of four deputies; commissioners set follow-up work sessions and encouraged public feedback.
County staff presented a recommended 2026 budget that the Board of Commissioners said would raise the county—s proposed mill levy to cover rising costs and new priorities, including road maintenance, personnel costs, jail revenue shortfalls, and a courthouse remodel.
Kevin, a county staff presenter, summarized drivers behind the proposed budget, saying rising construction costs and inflation make maintaining prior service levels more expensive. He illustrated that the per-mile cost to overlay asphalt rose from about $111,000 in 2021 to about $164,000 in 2023 for comparable overlay depths, and said the recommended 2026 budget includes 23 miles of overlay; staff estimated that change would add roughly $1.2 million in costs over two years.
The presentation listed other cost pressures: a projected increase in liability insurance of about 16 percent, medical-insurance costs rising about 15 percent, and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
