Reno County sets maximum 2026 mill levies and schedules budget hearing after lengthy budget discussion

The Reno County Commission voted to set maximum 2026 mill levies for the county and its special districts and to schedule public hearings for Sept. 10, 2025, after an extended discussion about personnel costs, cash reserves and potential program cuts.

County staff presented a budget summary for the fiscal 2026 county and special-district budgets, explaining the packet includes a proposed maximum budget that would raise the county's mill levy by 2.8 mills to a proposed maximum mill levy of 38.304. Staff stated that the presented maximum is not the recommended final budget but a statutory filing that allows the commission two months to make reductions before final adoption. The presentation noted the county reduced the placeholder wage increase from 6% to 4%, removed a discretionary position (approximately $75,000) and otherwise trimmed capital and cash where possible.

Staff said the county budgets include a $4 million general-fund cash reserve in the proposed budget and that the audit's ending unencumbered cash numbers feed into the 2026 beginning balances used for the state budget form. The packet also showed total federal expenditures and other fund-level detail for commissioners to review.

Commissioners debated options for reducing the maximum to meet a revenue-neutral target if desired. Commissioners and staff discussed that reaching revenue-neutral would require roughly $3 million in additional cuts beyond staff reductions already made, and that many remaining reductions would affect programs (for example, public-health services such as WIC) rather than discretionary overhead. Staff said specific department- or program-level cuts would require direction from the commission to identify where to reduce personnel or services.

On motions brought forward by the chair, commissioners approved three actions:

- Approve a notice of revenue-neutral rate intent with a maximum mill levy of 38.304 for the Reno County budget. Vote: Parks yes; Vincent no; Winger yes; Hurst yes; Bogner yes (motion carried).

- Approve notice of revenue-neutral rate intent and maximum mill levies as specified for the county's special districts (separate levies listed per district). Vote: Parks yes; Vincent no; Winger yes; Hurst yes; Bogner yes (motion carried).

- Set both the revenue-neutral-rate public hearing and the county and special-district budget public hearings for Sept. 10, 2025, at 9 a.m. in the Reno County Courthouse Veterans Room. Vote: Parks yes; Vincent no; Winger yes; Hurst yes; Bogner yes (motion carried).

Staff and commissioners emphasized there remain multiple meetings and opportunities between the filing and the Sept. 10 hearing to identify cuts and adjust the proposed maximums. Staff said certain external inputs (for example, whether districts consolidate or respond differently) will affect final numbers and that municipal or district decisions in coming weeks may change the county's options.

During the special-district discussion staff explained the consolidated Fire District 1 proposal and how adopting a single consolidated fire-district levy would replace multiple smaller levies, and staff described an option to allocate sewer bond payments for the Highlands sewer district to either user fees or property tax; staff said the Highlands reserves have been drawn down and the board may decide whether bond payments are covered by user fees, property taxes or a split of both.

Commissioners directed staff to return with more detailed, department-level options for cuts and agreed to continue budget deliberations at additional meetings before the Sept. 10 public hearings.