Broadwater County sheriff proposes five-year mill levy renewal at reduced rate to sustain deputies, school resource officer and equipment

Sheriff Nick Rauser of Broadwater County told a town-hall meeting that he plans to seek renewal of the county's five-year mill levy at a lower rate to maintain current law-enforcement services and equipment.

Rauser said the current levy, approved in June 2020 at 39.93 mills, has funded new positions, wage increases and equipment, and that the proposed renewal would reduce the rate to 31.95 mills while preserving the sheriff's office staffing and programs. "This was voted in 5 years ago. Any property owner in Broadwater County has been paying this for the last 5 years... I am actually going to lower the mills 20%," Rauser said.

The levy supports patrol deputies, a school resource officer, detention staff, dispatchers, a detective and a reserve program that Rauser said has improved retention and response coverage. Rauser said two deputy positions were initially seeded with a federal "cost grant" (a multi-year federal grant program discussed at the meeting) and subsequently absorbed into the county budget; those positions are now fully…