Saline County Weighs Revenue-Neutral Rate as Budget Talks Begin

Saline County commissioners discussed the upcoming budget at a June 23 study session, where County Administrator Stiles laid out the framework for the county's tax levy decisions. Last year's tax rate was 40.211 mills, while the revenue-neutral rate calculated by the clerk's office is 38.724 mills, according to the administrator. Reaching the revenue-neutral rate would require an estimated reduction of nearly 1.5 mills, equating to roughly $1.1 million in cuts across the county's taxable funds.

The administrator said the median home in Saline County is valued at about $214,000, and that reaching the revenue-neutral rate would save the median homeowner approximately $36 per year. "Everybody loves to have less taxes on their property, but then a million 1.1 million means we're cutting services in Saline County," Commissioner Grevas said, cautioning that reductions would affect services. Commissioner Hay said he would like to see how close the county could get to the revenue-neutral rate, suggesting there may be services being funded that are not needed.

The administrator noted assessed valuation rose between 3% and 4% this year, and that new improvements added about $12 million in taxable growth, though some property remains frozen within TIF and RHID districts until those obligations are paid off. He said the county is heavily dependent on property taxes compared to cities, which have more diverse revenue streams.