Lyon County’s fiscal 2024 budget is now official.
Commissioners approved the better than $40 million budget Thursday morning during their regular action session. The budget brings with it a 4.5 mill increase from fiscal 2023 landing at 57.783 mills.
Chairman Rollie Martin says around 75 percent of the overall budget is related to employee salaries and benefits. He tells KVOE News the increase in salaries coupled with inflation and rising expenses made this a difficult budget to develop.
Martin says the county thankfully has resources from which they can pull additional dollars to help fill some of the financial gaps and it did just that by transferring $2 million from the county’s one-cent sales tax revenues to cover 5 mills of the budget. Martin says this is the second time in two years the county has exercised this option.
Separately, but related, commissioners also approved exceeding the revenue neutral rate with an RNR of 49.23. County Controller Dan Williams says it is almost impossible not to exceed the revenue-neutral rate on an annual basis due to the formula that calculates it.
As part of their action to approve exceeding the revenue neutral rate, commissioners also approved the same action for the county’s libraries which saw an increase of 0.51 mills from fiscal 2023 to 1.381 mills.
In separate business Thursday, commissioners held an executive session for the purpose of discussing the county’s next human resources director. The session follows a round of formal interviews for the role held Wednesday morning.
Martin tells KVOE News three finalists were interviewed during that time with the commission prepared to make a formal offer, however, he says the county was not prepared to announce the name of the candidate at this time. The new director will replace longtime Human Janice Huffman who left the role back in early July.
Martin says a formal announcement may be made during the commission’s next regular action meeting.
Separately Thursday, commissioners also approved a quote from Teeracon to perform geotechnical engineering services for the replacement of a bridge on Road 70 west of Olpe totaling $8,600. Community Corrections Director Steve Willis also tendered his resignation to commissioners effective October 4.
Additional details on Willis’ resignation are available online at KVOE.com. County commissioners will reconvene for their weekly action meeting next Thursday at 9 am inside of the Lyon County Courthouse Commission Chambers.
