Neosho County commissioners agreed during a budget discussion to publish a draft budget notice showing an estimated tax rate of 42.773 mills and to take $250,000 out of the county's capital improvements account so the county's portion of property taxes remains below the revenue-neutral threshold, commissioners said. The board directed staff to publish the notice by Friday to meet the statutory notice period for the revenue-neutral (R&R) hearing.

The change followed a prolonged discussion about uncertain cash balances, outstanding reimbursements on a special bridge project, possible legal costs tied to prosecuting a former county attorney, and needed repairs to the county jail. Commissioners said those unknowns make it risky to reduce the county's mill rate too far.

Commissioner 2, a county commissioner, said the $250,000 decision comes down to balancing tax impact on property owners with the county's ability to cover emergent costs. "I'd rather be to make sure that we have cash that we need, that we can cover all of these things," Commissioner 2 said, adding that for many property owners the difference would be about $20 annually. Commissioner 1, a county commissioner, agreed that the county has made progress reducing debt but warned against cutting reserves too deeply while financial balances remain unclear.

Commissioners discussed the county's pilot fund and a special bridge account that, according to their accounting review, should currently hold about $1.1 million; they said actual cash flow is affected by timing of state reimbursements. One commissioner said the state covers 85% of a specific bridge project and that outstanding county exposure on that project is about $275,000, with roughly $160,000 owed to a contractor (referred to in the transcript as "Bridal/bridal") and about $114,000 owed to another contractor (referred to as "CF"). Those figures were discussed as estimates derived from the county's financial statements and project statements.

The board also discussed immediate capital needs at the county jail and the value of commissioning a facility assessment from an engineer. A commissioner reported a local engineer had provided an informal, preliminary price of about $5,000 to evaluate plumbing, electrical, roofing and other systems; commissioners directed staff to obtain a second quote and to move forward with an assessment so repairs can be planned and phased rather than piecemeal.

The commissioners also scheduled the R&R (budget) hearing for Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. and said the published notice must be filed by Friday to meet the 10-day notice requirement tied to the hearing. Several commissioners emphasized the county has reduced debt and broadened capital capacity in recent years, and that keeping a modest cushion is prudent as the county also plans wage increases and faces departments that are currently over budget.

The discussion produced several clear directions but not a formal recorded roll-call vote in the transcript: staff were directed to publish the budget notice using a 42.773 mills estimate (draft 8), remove $250,000 from the capital improvement account for the purpose of maintaining reserves, seek engineering quotes for a jail facility assessment, and continue monitoring the pilot fund and special bridge reimbursements ahead of the final budget. A later motion to close the meeting was made and seconded; the transcript records the motion and second but does not include a confirmed, explicit roll-call result in the provided excerpt.

What remains uncertain from the transcript are exact, reconciled cash balances across all county funds at fiscal year-end and the final amounts of state reimbursements. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized that several figures discussed are based on interim statements and are subject to final reconciliation.