Public Hearings were held Monday for the Riley County 2023 budget, with commissioners ultimately approving the $80.5 million in estimated expenditures.
There was a change to the County Fire District #1 budget due to a timing issue with publication. The ad valorem taxes-required rate therefore dropped from 8.153 to 7.633. The Revenue Neutral Rate requires ten days public notice but that isn’t necessary when lowering the rate. Budget and Finance Officer Darrel Edie commented on that.
The budget had an additional $10 million in it when published in September, due to internal transfer money that Edie mistakenly included in the budget. That included American Rescue Plan Act money and other federal dollars.
The county budget was republished for the proper length of time prior to the hearing, and remained the same, with $30,426,513 to be levied in property tax with a mill levy of 42.211. Commissioner John Ford commended staff for working to keep the budget as low as possible.
Ford says he feels good about the County’s future, and hopes inflation starts to flatten to help future budget planning.
Both budgets were unanimously adopted by the commissioners. The total 2023 budget expenditures is $80,491,689.