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Commission adopts 2025 levied-funds budget packet; finance director previews 2026 budget pressures
Summary
Finance Director Mark Zeltner presented a consolidated 2025 levied-funds budget packet which the commission approved for posting; he also previewed 2026 budget scenarios showing valuation, R and R mill-rate implications and pressure from lease and bond payments.
Atchison County commissioners approved a consolidated 2025 levied-funds budget packet prepared by Finance Director Mark Zeltner and directed staff to publish the packet on the county website and social media. Zeltner described the packet as a “living document” that summarizes levied funds and provides charts and departmental breakdowns intended to improve public transparency.
Zeltner presented key fiscal points and a preliminary 2026 projection: he estimated 2025 lease payments near $175,000 and bond payments for 2025 near $565,700 (totaling roughly $740,800 for debt service). Using an assumed 5% increase to total valuation for 2026, Zeltner projected shifts in the county’s mill levy (R and R figures on the record) and said that to keep the county at a lower R and R would require significant budget reductions (he cited an example of needing to reduce roughly $371,000 to maintain certain rate assumptions). Zeltner also flagged that the county’s interest income has declined as funds have been drawn down and CDs cashed.
The commission voted 3-0 to approve the 2025 levied-funds packet and accepted Zeltner’s recommendation to post the digital packet publicly. Zeltner said the packet will be expanded in future iterations to include sales-tax funds (solid waste, dispatch) if desired.
Why it matters: The packet provides a consolidated, public-facing view of levied funds and departmental appropriations; the 2026 preview signals budget pressures from debt-service obligations, valuation changes and potential state policy changes on valuations.
What commissioners said: Commissioners commended the packet as a transparency improvement and suggested including additional sales-tax fund details in future versions. They discussed target reserve levels and the trade-offs of using one-time reserves to smooth mill changes.
Ending: The commission approved publication of the 2025 packet and directed continued scenario modeling for 2026 during budget preparation.
