–The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors held discussions on ways cut costs for nearly seven hours Tuesday, as the deadline for certifying next year’s budget approaches. The county’s proposed tax asking for the upcoming fiscal year is nearly $1.7 Million higher than the current budget year, and the board has been trying to come up with options to keep the increase from fully being placed on the back of area taxpayers. One of the points of contention has been possible changes to the county’s insurance coverage for employees. Chairman Kyle Stecker says insurance is an area where the county can save money.
Several county department heads and employees were at the meeting and provided their thoughts to the board.
Supervisor Josh Waechter says insurance changes may cause more headaches than solutions.
In the end, the board made a handful of changes that will end up saving about $80,000 in total. The board did set the date for the public hearing on next year’s budget during their meeting Tuesday. That public hearing will be held during the Supervisor’s meeting on April 23rd.