Labette County Commissioners were able to hold their mill levy for the upcoming year to approximately its current level, according to the proposed budget printed elsewhere in today’s Labette Avenue.
The county is seeking a .171 (about one-sixth of a mill) increase, Chairman Brian Kinzie told those at the regular meeting on Monday morning.
The actual levy will be finalized later in the year when final valuation figures are determined.
The proposed levy will be 53.462 mills compared to the current levy of 53.291 mills.
Commissioner Lonie Addis said it didn’t help that sales tax revenues were down 3.1 percent from last year. With the new July 1 statewide one-cent sales tax increase, the county was overall down 26 percent from last year.
“We have gone eight years with no cash reserve,” said Addis.
“We are trying to hold the line for the taxpayers,” added Kinzle.
Addis said the commissioners normally levy two mills for replacement of bridges but they have cut that in half and will complete bridges when they come up on the list and when low water bridges need work.
“There are over 300 bridges in Labette County that are 60 to 80 years old,” said Addis, “and they need to last 120 to 140 years. We’ll just try to survive.”
In other business at the meeting, the county will allow for 10 unclaimed indigent burials on a year basis. This will be due to the state of Kansas giving these cases back to counties when such deaths take place.
“We have allowed $10,000 for the zoning,” Addis said. “A lot of these increases are just out of our hands.” commissioners said. “We will continue to look and possible consolidate wherever we can.”
A budget hearing was scheduled for Monday, Aug. 30, at 10 a.m. to hear comments about the commission’s proposed budget.

See this week’s Labette Avenue for the entire story.