Board debates whether to use gaming receipts and lodging tax to lower levy

Budget staff reported last year’s gaming receipts at about $1,553,057 and proposed budgeting a $1,500,000 transfer to support the county tax levy. The visitor promotion and visitor improvement funds, funded by lodging tax, were also discussed earlier in the meeting; staff has budgeted lodging-tax revenues up to about $2,000,000 for next year and indicated no levy impact for those funds.

Commissioners debated whether to budget expected gaming receipts as a transfer (which would directly lower the levy) or to budget transfers only on cash on hand to avoid risking recurring expenditures on receipts that might not materialize. One commissioner argued for conservatism — only spending actual cash receipts — while another noted the casino receipts trend and suggested the board could increase planned transfers if future revenue appears. No final change to the proposed transfer amount was adopted during the meeting.