By Annie Wolfe/Pott County Times
The Pottawatomie County Commission gave final approval to the 2025 budget at Monday’s board meeting.
Details of the budget had been ironed out during a work session the previous week.
For the first time since 2010, the county will see a decrease in assessed valuation. That valuation is determined by real property values, personal property values, and state assessed utilities. The overall decrease in assessed valuation is the result of a decrease in the valuation of state assessed utilities.
“The state assessed utilities portion of our valuation makes up 45 percent of our total countywide valuation,” explained Assistant County Administrator Heather Gladbach. “And of that projected $348 million for 2025, about 94 percent of that is Jeffrey’s Energy Center. So almost all of it.”
Over the last three years, the valuation of Jeffrey’s Energy Center (owned by Evergy) in Pottawatomie County has decreased.
“According to the State, that is because of the allocation factor Evergy is using to allocate those values between the state of Kansas and the state of Missouri,” said Gladbach. The total value of Evergy as a whole is very similar to the current year, however the way that value is divided between Kansas and Missouri for 2025 has changed.
The mill levy will also decrease by almost 10 percent, going from 28.856 to approximately 26.0. For someone owning a $300,000 home, this would result in $98.53 less in taxes. Ad Valorem taxes levied will drop by $2,311,044.
Changes impacting the general fund include a cost of living pay increase and several new job positions. County Employees will receive a 2.5 percent wage increase this month and another two percent increase in January, which will cost the county $610,476 more in wages. In addition, adding two additional commissioner seats at the next election will cost the county $173,293 in benefit wages ($38,700 in gross wages and $86,600 each in benefit wages). The county is also adding a Road and Bridge Mechanic position and an Assistant Road and Bridge Supervisor position. Benefit wages for the two positions total around $230,000.
The Commission gave KMAN, the Manhattan Mercury and the Times permission to publish the budget in the newspaper. Commissioners have set the Revenue Neutral Rate and budget hearings for Monday Sept. 9.
