Worth County holds public hearing on proposed property tax changes and budget items

The Worth County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on proposed property tax changes and related budget items and heard about an hour of public comment before formally closing the hearing by roll-call vote.

The hearing centered on a proposed increase to cover wages and building maintenance, county staff and supervisors said. County staff characterized the budget request as including funds for routine maintenance of the courthouse and other county facilities, possible office consolidation or a new administration office (not a replacement courthouse), and ongoing projects for conservation and secondary roads where bids have already been approved.

Why it matters: Comments from multiple residents, including several farmers, said any tax increase would be poorly timed given rising input costs and narrow farm margins. Speakers also raised concerns about maintenance costs for the courthouse, the potential for future consolidation of court services, and added road maintenance and plowing obligations created by wind turbine development.

Board action and procedure A supervisor moved to open the public hearing and public comment proceeded. At the hearings conclusion, a supervisor moved to close the public hearing; the board took a roll-call vote and recorded three "Aye" votes from Loebert, Stone and Schmabey, and the public hearing was closed.

Budget purpose and staff comments County staff and supervisors said the request is intended to cover several categories of cost, most prominently wages (including a recommended 3% cost-of-living adjustment) and building maintenance. Staff said they are keeping money in the budget for general maintenance after several expensive repairs in recent years (staff noted an aging courthouse boiler dating from the 1960s). Officials described current planning to consolidate some administrative offices: conservation and secondary roads will move to a joint office in Northwood, with remodeling of a building the county purchased; secondary roads will also receive a new shop. Bids for those projects were described as approved and work expected to begin soon.

Public concerns: farmers, costs and timing Multiple public commenters objected to the proposed increase. One commenter identified in the meeting as Clint said, "I'm not happy about this tax increase. 12% is gonna raise my taxes over $650" and later said his property taxes rose previously from about $4,000 to about $5,700. Others representing farm operations said farmers are operating on thin margins and pressured by lenders, and that additional property-tax increases would be difficult to absorb.

State rules, levies and property valuations Speakers at the hearing repeatedly referenced state property-tax rules and the states rollback/valuation formulas. County figures presented at the hearing said the countys levy was reduced last year from about 4.25 to 4.12 because of state-required adjustments; recent assessed-value growth was described as roughly 1.46% this year. County staff said the state is setting caps that effectively limit budget growth to roughly 2% in many cases, and speakers said there is ongoing legislative discussion about changes to rollback and other state backfill payments. Several commenters said the states rules often force levy adjustments even when valuations change.

Roads, turbines and plowing Residents pressed county staff about road maintenance and winter plowing after wind turbine installation. Several speakers said turbines have required access to previously unused grades of road and increased plowing mileage. The countys secondary-roads representative (identified in remarks as Rich) was asked to confirm which roads receive winter plowing and how 911 access is maintained; staff said maps and road classifications (level B roads and other levels) govern plowing policy but acknowledged some local changes in the past two or three years and that turbine-related access has added maintenance needs.

Other budget items and services Speakers noted separate potential tax items later this year, including a separate proposal related to ambulance/EMS service. Commenters also discussed other revenue sources that have helped the countys budget in recent years, including turbine payments and casino funds; county staff said casino funds generally cannot be used for ongoing operational costs such as wages but can be applied to capital costs for new buildings in limited cases.

Next steps and board direction No final budget adoption or levy increase was approved during the hearing. The board completed the public hearing process and will consider the comments and state-level guidance as it proceeds through its budget process. County staff said bids and planning for conservation and secondary roads projects are moving forward; any formal budget approvals will be recorded at subsequent meetings.

Votes at a glance - Motion to close the public hearing: roll-call vote recorded as Loebert: Aye; Stone: Aye; Schmabey: Aye. The motion to close the public hearing carried.