The Geary County Commission has adopted the 2017 County Budget on a 3-0 vote.

The budget includes a 6.1 mill increase in the property tax levy, bringing the total of mill levy increases for the County in the past three years to more than 19 mills.

Members of the public in some cases were present to listen while others  expressed concern to the commission Monday about the increases, with city officials citing the negative impact on economic development recruiting and attempts to grow the community. Others pointed to the hardships on citizens with fixed incomes. One pointed out some have to choose between paying for medicine or their taxes. One suggestion included using lease – purchase arrangements for vehicles to reduce one-year cost impacts.

Commissioners have cited mandated expenses for handling jail inmates, the Health Department, and social costs of CINC ( child in need of care cases ) and the animal shelter. The commission chair Florence Whitebread pointed to the fact the jail population has doubled in the past year. She pointed to Fort Riley as one of the causes of that, and to the fact that when there are deployments that results in a big increase in animals that have to be cared for at the animal shelter. On the lease purchase idea for vehicles Whitebread countered by noting that would increase the cost over the long term.

Cuts in state funding by the Brownback administration and the legislature, and changes in sentencing guidelines have over time been cited as part of the cause of the financial difficulties as well.