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dgau@marshallindependent.com
MARSHALL -- The city of Marshall will be looking at a levy increase of 6% or lower for 2022. At their Sept. 14 meeting, members of the Marshall City Council approved a preliminary levy of about $7.68 million. That's an increase of about $435,000, or 6%, from 2021.
"It cannot be raised after that. It can be lowered," Mayor Bob Byrnes said of setting the preliminary levy. The city will set a final budget and levy in December. A public hearing on the proposed levy was set for 6 p.m. Dec. 14.
Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson said the 2022 budget and levy were "a work in progress" for city staff. At an August work session, the possibility of a 10% levy increase was brought forward. After discussion with the city council, "There was consensus to bring forward a 6% levy," Hanson said.
"If we're looking at a 6% increase, you'd be looking at a $28 (tax) increase for the average home of $150,00," Hanson said. For a commercial property valued at $250,000, the increase would be $94, she said.
In addition to discussion of the levy, Hanson went over some of the highlights of the city's proposed budget at the Sept. 14 meeting. There were still some unknowns in the budget, she said. For example, the city would know more about its employee health insurance rates by Oct. 1. "That has a large impact on our budget," Hanson said.
Another part of the budget that was going through adjustments was the city's proposed appropriations for the Marshall-Lyon County Library. In past years the city and Lyon County have both contributed to the library's funding in a two-thirds/one-third split. However, after the Lyon County Board asked MLCL to trim back its roughly $373,000 funding request, the city was also looking at a lower library funding appropriation. The city wanted to make sure it was still contributing in the same two-thirds/one-third ratio as before, Hanson said.
Council members voted to set the city's preliminary levy at 6%, and set a public hearing for Dec. 14.