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Auditor outlines House File 718 tax mailing; board sets FY27 property-tax hearing and reviews budget items
Summary
County Auditor Michelle Scaff explained the state-required tax mailing under House File 718 (not a tax bill, but a maximum-request notice), the board set the public hearing for the FY27 proposed property-tax levy for March 31 at 4:00 p.m., and the board approved a secondary-roads budget reallocation while agreeing to discuss outstanding improvement requests next week.
Michelle Scaff, Woodbury County auditor, reviewed the contents and purpose of the House File 718 mailing the auditor’s office will distribute: it is not a tax bill but a notice that compiles proposed maximum tax requests from school districts, cities and the county so residents can compare current taxes with proposed maximums. Scaff walked the board through the three-part notice: the school section, the county section, and the city section (blank for townships), and explained the examples provided for residential and commercial property (comparisons using $100,000→$110,000 for residences and $300,000→$330,000 for commercial property).
Scaff emphasized the numbers in the notice are maxima and that the authorities must still hold public hearings; she said historically the county’s final levy numbers have declined from the maxima provided in the mailing. The county’s budget hearing was announced for March 31 at 4:00 p.m. in the courthouse basement.
On budget business, board administration presented a reallocation within the secondary roads FY26 budget that does not change any of the ten major expenditure classes, so no formal budget amendment was required. The board approved the reallocation. Separately, the board formally set the property-tax public hearing for March 31, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
During the FY27 budget review, staff and supervisors discussed outstanding improvement requests (secondary roads, emergency services, auditor/recorder) and agreed to schedule those requests for next-week discussion. Supervisors directed staff to confirm union/HR impacts on any position changes before final approval.
Motions and votes at a glance: the board recorded approval of the secondary-roads reallocation and the motion to set the property-tax hearing as passing unanimously.
Why it matters: The House File 718 mailing triggers public awareness and hearings on taxing authority maximums and is a required step in the property-tax/budget cycle; setting the public hearing advances the FY27 budget process.
