Lyon Co. faces proposed 1.4% levy increase in 2022

Commissioners took their first look at a draft budget proposal last week

MARSHALL -- Lyon County commissioners got their first look at a proposed 2022 budget last week. While there are still budget items to be finalized among different county departments and agencies, the proposal had the county at an overall levy increase of about 1.4% from 2021.

Lyon County Administrator Loren Stomberg brought the draft budget forward at the county board's Aug. 17 regular meeting. The proposal was the "first draft" of the county budget, Stomberg said. The county will need to set a preliminary levy amount in September. Once a preliminary levy amount is set, the final 2022 levy can be lower, but not higher, than the preliminary levy.

The draft budget brought forward last week included a net county levy of of about $15.46 million, which would be an increase of about $216,000 over 2021.

"Overall we're at 1.4%" for a levy increase, Stomberg said. He said that some details of the budget proposal hadn't been worked out yet in some county departments, like the environmental department. Stomberg said Southwest Health and Human Services was also going through its budget process, which could also have an impact on the final county budget and levy.

The 2022 budget will come back before the board in September.

According to data provided by Stomberg, Lyon County's net levy has grown by about $3 million since 2013. That was the last of a few years in a row when county commissioners stuck to a zero-percent levy increase. In 2021, the county's net levy was about $15.25 million.