Hall County adopts 2025-26 budget; proposal to use bond interest to cut levy fails

The Hall County Board of Commissioners on record adopted its 2025-26 appropriations and property tax request and rejected a motion to use $750,000 of interest from the courthouse bond fund to reduce this year’s tax levy.

During a public hearing on the budget, county staff presented the levy sheet showing a total assessed valuation of $8,099,201,180. Staff read the tax requests as $24,409,611.21 for the general fund, $980,933.26 for the museum fund and $3,687,800 for the courthouse bond fund, for a total property tax request of $29,078,344.47. The board’s proposed tax rate was read as 0.359027 per $100 of assessed value; staff noted the county’s total assessed value changed by 8.18% from the prior year.

Two public commenters asked the board to consider taxpayer impacts. ‘‘Please never suggest that we sell our land,’’ said Mike Dobish of Wood River, who identified himself as a farmer and complained about rising taxes and project costs at the courthouse. Ron Nitzel, a landlord who identified his office in Grandview, questioned where certain county funds were spent and urged greater transparency.

A county commissioner identified in the record only by the first name Gary proposed taking $750,000 of interest earned on the courthouse bond funds to buy down the courthouse payment and lower the levy. Kayla, a county staff member who presented the levy sheet, told the board the county worked with financial advisers DA Davidson when setting the levy and that the levy amount reflected the need to cover arrears and an upcoming June bond payment. Staff also cautioned that using funds earmarked for the courthouse could reduce the county’s unused authority and that she had not consulted bond counsel about the change.

The board debated the idea and then voted; the motion to use $750,000 failed, 4 no and 2 yes. Later in the meeting the board moved to adopt resolution 25-043, approving appropriations for the Hall County budget; that motion carried on a 4-2 vote. The board then read and adopted resolution 25-044 setting the 2025-26 property tax request (same vote tally).

The meeting record includes discussion about the courthouse bond financing timeline and interest: staff and commissioners noted that the county sold $40 million in bonds, that interest over the life of the project was expected to be substantial, and that bond terms prohibit early principal reduction for five years in most scenarios. Staff said the first principal payment was scheduled for December and that much of the current payments are interest.

The action taken sets the county’s official tax requests and appropriations for the coming year; staff said tax statements in coming months will include newly required printed information about the share of tax dollars spent on public safety.