Two Webster County levies are set to increase for fiscal year 2021, but one major expenditure category will see a decrease.

Rural Basic Property will see an increase, from $3.66 per $1,000 of taxable value to $3.95. General Supplemental will go from $1.589 to $1.598 per $1,000. General Basic will remain the same as the current fiscal year.

Properties are taxed based on their county-assessed value, not their market value.

The majority of spending from the Rural Basic budget is for county roads. Secondary roads in Webster County this year saw a transfer of $1.533 million for comprehensive maintenance of black tops and gravel roads, including snow removal.

County conservation projects, also funded by Rural Basic, incurred costs through some new projects including the tiny homes built at Gypsum City OHV Park, environmental education efforts, and other projects in natural resources, weed control, solid waste disposal and recycling.

County Auditor Doreen Pliner said that General Supplemental levy is increasing due to increased staffing costs. In addition to increased health insurance and retirement pension costs, county supervisors approved a 2.5% raise for most county employees starting in July.

Election costs in 2020 are also expected to be more than normal — costs which come out of the same fund. Pliner said that the county plans to replace aging equipment used by poll workers during elections, increasing their 2020 request to $489,000, up from last year’s $422,000.

The per-capita levy imposed by Webster County’s mental health region will decrease significantly, from $35.18 to $30 — a 26% decrease. Using the county’s population of 36,277, the reduction will save the county $200,000 over the next fiscal year.

Supervisor Chair Mark Campbell said the that while most counties have a 35-40% reserve fund balance, Webster County has an unusually health 80% reserve balance. Mental health authorities will accordingly spend that reserve down rather than increase costs to taxpayers, he said.

The reserve was built up but never used for programs anticipated to have been in place by now, as well as one-time expenses.

“That fund will be utilized more when we have more services in the western quadrant,” Campbell said.

Other major expenditure categories will see some increases in next year’s budget: county environment and education will go up 12% for more conservation projects, roads and transportation will go up slightly for inflation increases, government services to residents will go up 12% due to a larger election at the end of this year and administration will increase just under 5% for employee expenses.

Capital projects, the largest budget expenditure jump next year, will receive an 88% increase over the current year due to large projects like digital radio upgrades for county authorities and the major roof repair and clocktower renovation for Webster County Courthouse.

Pliner said the percentage of increase was markedly skewed in part because the county did not take on any projects nearly that large over the last year.

Total county property valuations since the last budget have increased about $2 million to $1,991,450,367.