–The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors approved budget cuts totaling over $1 Million during their meeting this week in an effort to avoid a substantial increase in property taxes. The idea of having county employees pay a portion of their health insurance has been discussed at length over the last few months. Multiple County Department heads addressed the Supervisors during their discussions, reiterating that their employees will already not be seeing a cost-of-living wage increase this year as a way to limit spending. Sheriff Roger Fisher says providing that insurance benefit is one thing that helps attract workers to jobs with Kossuth County that pay less than they do in neighboring counties.
After having discussions with department leaders and the public, the board settled on a handful of changes that will help lower the property tax asking for the next year. County Auditor Tammy Eden reviewed the cuts before the board approved them by a vote of 4-1.
The $30,000 cut for the Kossuth County Fair was to be the county’s contribution to repair the grandstand, which is over 100 years old. The county will still contribute $5,000 towards the fair’s free gate.
The proposed property tax asking for the coming fiscal year was initially $1.7 Million more than the current budget year. With the cuts approved on Tuesday, that number can be reduced by nearly two-thirds, resulting in a smaller increase in property taxes across the county.
The county will hold their budget hearing and officially approve the 2024-2025 budget on April 23rd.
