Commissioners push back on treasurer's $4.5 million increase, flag county internet charge

The Seward County Board of Commissioners scrutinized the treasurer's proposed budget, with the chair saying the overall ask amounted to "$4,500,000 more than last year, which is not possible." The treasurer's office representative described personnel increases (4% merit raises) and higher data-processing costs, and a commissioner pointed out that the county's internet charges are currently billed through the treasurer's account.

The treasurer's office representative said she knocked $1,000 off a requested data-processing line based on actual spending and explained the treasurer's heavier printing and postage needs since more payments moved online after the pandemic. The chair described a county practice that results in the treasurer carrying the county's entire internet bill and warned the figure would make the treasurer's line look large: "it's like $9,000." Commissioners also discussed an external computer consultant contracted to serve multiple offices; one commissioner urged consolidating IT under a single county position and suggested revisiting that change next year.

The board asked that the treasurer provide quotes for proposed office equipment purchases and agreed to continue work on the line items; commissioners emphasized that cuts requested of other departments would be shared across outside contracts and in-house staffing decisions going forward.