Lincoln County considers $500,000 property-tax refund instead of lowering mill levy
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Summary
At a July 18, 2022 budget hearing the Board of Lincoln County Commissioners discussed keeping the mill levy at 12 and adding a $500,000 county-funded property tax refund program to the FY 2022-23 budget; officials also reviewed Sheriff capital outlay items, a LaBarge transfer-station funding request and a carbon-capture update.
Lincoln County commissioners opened a public hearing on the FY 2022-23 budget on July 18, 2022, and discussed a proposal to keep the county's mill levy at 12 while creating a $500,000 county-funded property tax refund program intended to offset property-tax burdens, Chairman King said.
Chairman King opened the hearing at 4:31 p.m. and explained the board's calculation that each $100,000 of a home's assessed value equates to $10 in the mill levy. Rather than reducing the mill levy, he said the board is proposing a refundable program funded at $500,000; county staff would write rules for eligibility and administration. Kent Connelly asked whether the $500,000 had been included in the Tentative Budget; King said it was not.
The proposal to keep the mill levy drew public comment and clarifying questions about budget lines. Mary Crosby expressed support for a refund program, saying a lower mill levy could harm the county's ability to compete for grant funding. Kent Connelly requested that the budget identify the amounts for Unanticipated Expenditures and the Sheriff's Office Capital Outlay for transparency; those specific line amounts were not specified in the hearing record.
Commissioners and public speakers also discussed items tied to the Sheriff's Capital Outlay. Chairman King said a portion of that line is for affordable deputy housing in Alpine; the town has offered property for a home and the county plans to recoup construction costs through rent. Commissioner Hansen added that other capital-outlay items under discussion include dash cameras and light bars for patrol vehicles.
Larry Stepp, identified in the record as mayor of LaBarge, asked the board to provide $10,000 for improvements to the town's transfer station, saying LaBarge has saved county resources by transferring waste to nearby Sublette County. Stepp also asked about reimbursement from the Recreation Commission for rodeo-ground stalls and suggested in-kind support from the county's Road and Bridge department; Commissioner Harmon said he would raise those requests with the Recreation Commission.
Separately, Stepp asked for an update on a local carbon-capture project; Chairman King said Exxon is moving forward with that project and that other projects are also progressing in ways that could benefit the county.
Procedural action at the start of the meeting included a motion by Commissioner Hansen to approve the meeting agenda; the motion was adopted (vote tally not specified). The hearing was adjourned at 4:46 p.m. Any amendments or corrections to the minutes will be reflected in the next meeting's minutes.