Polk County adopts 2025 levy and budget, approves $millions in regional mental‑health and social‑services contracts

Polk County Commissioners adopted the 2025 levy and approved the county’s summary budget on a voice vote, setting the framework for next year’s spending and moving forward with a 3% overall levy plan.

The board also approved a set of compensation and benefit measures that apply to non‑represented staff and to county officers: a county contribution toward employee health coverage set at $1,600 per month for 2025 and a wage grid for non‑represented positions tied to the adopted cost‑of‑living adjustments. Commissioners’ per diems and benefit contributions were adopted with no mid‑meeting changes.

Why it matters: the adopted levy and compensation decisions frame county operations and labor negotiations for 2025 and ensure the county can serve as fiscal host for multiple regionally administered grants.

Polk County also approved a coordinated set of social‑services contracts and grants that collectively direct state funds into regional crisis response, adult mental‑health initiatives and children’s services. Highlights approved by the board: - Acceptance of a Department of Human Services regional Crisis Services (scribe) grant with Polk County as fiscal host — a two‑year state contract that funds a regional mobile crisis system. The board approved the DHS contract for the region and individual vendor…