Scotts Bluff County budget nears completion

GERING, Neb. (KNEP) - The Scotts Bluff County budget is one step closer to being finalized.

The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners has been able to discuss, cut and rearrange the counties budget to avoid a public hearing about a potential property tax increase. The board was also able to lower the tax levy down to no longer have it be the third highest in the state.

The board started the final budget workshop needing to find ways to cut $900,000. In order to accomplish this, the board went to different department heads to discuss what could be cut from their budgets, and departments came to the final meeting with revised budgets of their own.

Some departments that were able to cut their budgets were the sheriffs office, communications center, roads and bridges and the transit department. Much of the proposed budget items were items that could be postponed due to either recent improvements or little interest for certain projects.

The board was also able to lower the tax burden on county residents to $13,393,109 which allows Scotts Bluff County to lower the levy it collects from .40 percent of $100 to .37 percent of $100 dollars.

The board also agreed on a 2.5 percent cost of living adjustment for all non-elected employees.

The budget discussed at this meeting is not final until the board takes action on it during a meeting sometime in September. The Scotts Bluff County Finance Department can be contacted at 308-436-6726 with questions.