County levy increases due to higher costs and property valuations

By Anna Jauhola
Three people from the public attended the Kittson County truth in taxation meeting Thursday, Dec. 8, held during the regular commissioner’s meeting.
The commission presented the proposed 2023 budget and reasons for the levy increase.
The proposed budget is set at $15,420,417. The county is set to bring in $5,644,309 in revenue, receive $474,456 in state program aid and use zero dollars in reserves. This leaves the need to raise $6,225,183 through the levy. Some good news is, the commissioners have been working to whittle down the budget and have preliminarily cut the levy down to $5.6 million.
Administrator Brian Buhmann said the county has seen a 15 percent increase in valuation on properties throughout the county – commercial, agriculture and residential. For 2022, the county’s taxing capacity was $14 million. For 2023, it is going up to $18 million.
Another reason for the increased tax levy is the county is not using any reserves to supplement its budget.

Read the full story in the Dec. 14, 2022, edition of the Kittson County Enterprise.