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Dickinson County keeps draft mill levy under revenue-neutral rate, staff warns reserves will shrink
Summary
Commission staff presented a draft 2027 budget projecting a 48.402-mill levy (a drop from 56.891 mills in 2022) and said the county will remain under the revenue-neutral rate while drawing down capital reserves; commissioners agreed to monitor reserve levels and revisit difficult appropriations in coming weeks.
Dickinson County commission staff presented a draft budget that would set the county mill levy at about 48.402 mills in the coming year, a number staff said represents roughly a 10% reduction over two years and about a 15% reduction since 2022.
Marcus Rothschild, assistant county administrator, told the commission the figure results from multiple years of cuts and adjustments and that staff had worked to keep the levy under the state'defined revenue-neutral rate. He said the county's current approach has reduced capital reserves and that continuing the cuts will require careful monitoring of funds that pay for equipment and capital projects.
Rothschild highlighted specific budget elements intended to limit capital outlays in 2027: a $450,000 planned transfer into the equipment reserve in 2026 to help cover upcoming ambulance purchases, selective deferrals of nonessential equipment purchases, and an expectation that proceeds from vehicle auctions (about $100,000 already realized) will offset program costs. He said the draft budget shows the equipment reserve and the special highway fund each ending 2027 with roughly $1.4 million, while the capital improvement fund would have about $200,000.
Commissioners asked staff to keep capital funding options under review. One commissioner urged caution about cutting too quickly, noting prior episodes where rapid cuts led to service limitations; another said the commission's goal when running for office was to reduce the mill levy but acknowledged that reserves are being used to maintain that relief.
The commission did not adopt a final budget at the meeting. Rothschild said the earliest date for a budget hearing is Aug. 20, and staff will notify the county clerk of the commission's intent to remain under the revenue-neutral rate. Commissioners agreed to revisit several funding lines, including a proposed reduction in conservation-district support, at a subsequent meeting.
Next steps: staff will publish required notices, finalize budget documents for the state form, and bring any requested changes back to the commission before the formal budget hearing.
