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Commissioners set preliminary R&R maximum at 6 mills to preserve flexibility
Summary
During a budget work session commissioners agreed to publish a 6-mill maximum for the countyR&R (repair-and-replacement) levy so staff can refine the final rate before the statutory adoption process.
County commissioners in a budget work session directed staff to publish a maximum repair-and-replacement (R&R) levy of 6 mills, a move county officials said would preserve flexibility while the 2024 audit and final revenue figures are completed. Auditor advised the board during the session: "I would go at least 6." The board set the maximum in advance of the statutory notice and hearing schedule and will decide the final rate later in the adoption process.
The R&R levy is the maximum tax rate the county may advertise to the public; the county may adopt a lower rate when it finalizes revenues and expenses. The auditor told commissioners that once published, the rate can be reduced but not increased above the published maximum, and recommended setting a conservative maximum so commissioners have room to adjust when actual figures arrive.
Why it matters: publishing a higher maximum gives the county time to reconcile outstanding accounting items, finalize the 2024 audit and confirm expected 2025 revenues without forcing a raised tax mid-process. Staff said the 2024 audit is not yet complete and some account balances in the county financial system (CIC) still require verification.
What commissioners discussed: the auditor reviewed the practical effect of a published maximum and described past practice in which governments publish a higher maximum and adopt a lower actual rate later. Commissioners and staff discussed options between roughly 4 mills and 6 mills; one commissioner framed the choice as allowing time to "do our magic after that" while departments finalize requests.
Next steps and deadlines: staff said they must file the initial levy paperwork with the county clerk by the next Monday (the clerk was identified in the session as Chastity). The commission was reminded that a public hearing on the rate must be held no later than the statutory date (commissioners discussed a Sept. 20 deadline for holding an R&R hearing), and the final adopted rate cannot exceed the published maximum.
No formal vote was recorded in the work session; commissioners stated they would adopt the 6-mill maximum during the regular session that followed the workshop. The session record shows a direction to staff to proceed with the 6-mill publication and to continue reconciling financial records prior to final adoption.
