The Geary County Commission has unveiled a proposed 2018 county budget that would reduce the property tax levy by 1.614 mills.

This is not a final document and can be adjusted, but commissioners do not expect major changes.

First year commissioner Keith Ascher credited the county department heads for their help in making reductions within their departments. “My hat’s off to the department heads. I applaud them. We really told them early on that we really, really needed help and they came through with flying colors.”

Commissioner Ben Bennett stated, “We don’t see any other adjustments that we’ll have to make to go up. We of course, have gone past the July 1st deadline to tell you if we were going to have an election. We told you last week we probably  wouldn’t do that, and we’re not.”

There is a new state law that set a July 1st deadline for the commission to determine if an election was necessary to increase the property tax levy by more than just a small amount. Again, that election will not be necessary.

One factor helping the commission that was noted is that they do not have approximately $350,000 budgeted for voting election equipment in 2018 since all of those expenditures are budgeted for 2017.

While major changes do not appear likely, the governing body could still raise or reduce the spending plan since it has not yet been published. In a few weeks it will be published, and then could still be decreased. There will be a public hearing at a future point before final approval of a 2018 budget occurs in August.

The proposed spending plan with a reduction in the levy comes after three straight years of increases in the levy that totaled nearly 19 mills during that time.