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Commission sets 40.7‑mill ceiling for 2026 budget notice after lengthy debate on staffing appeals
Summary
The Saline County Board of Commissioners voted to tell the clerk it will use a 40.7‑mill ceiling when publishing the 2026 budget notice. The meeting featured detailed appeals from the county clerk and HR for two new full‑time positions and extended debate about cuts and the public perception of raising property taxes.
The Saline County Board of Commissioners on July 15 directed staff to prepare a revenue‑neutral form using a 40.7 mill ceiling for the county's 2026 budget notice, giving administrators limited room to lower the proposed levy before final adoption.
County Administrator Philip Smith told commissioners the number transmitted to the county clerk sets a ceiling for later budget work: "You can always go down. You can't go up. So whatever number we give to Jamie after the conclusion of today, that's the ceiling, but there's no floor," he said.
The action came after an extended budget discussion and two appeals from county staff asking the commission to restore or add positions that administration had not recommended. The county clerk appealed for an additional elections‑focused staff position, citing the workload of managing roughly 250 voting machines, chain‑of‑custody requirements and increasingly technical…
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