MARSHALL — Lyon County Commissioners were anticipating a higher levy increase than usual for 2025 – but they still wanted to trim it down, if possible. On Tuesday, commissioners discussed options for a proposed 2025 budget and levy, and voted to set a 4.2% preliminary levy increase.

The county’s final levy can be lower, but not higher, than the preliminary levy.

Earlier this month, Lyon County Administrator Loren Stomberg had brought forward a budget proposal with a levy increase “substantially more” than what the county has seen over the past several years. The proposed budget included a net levy of about $17.13 million, a 5.7% increase from 2024.

“What we have here is not including any contingency provision, and does not have any money budgeted for economic development. It is pretty bare-bones,” Stomberg said.

Stomberg said the proposed 5.7% increase reflected rising costs of health and property insurance, as well as changes in county aid funding, and possible interest income.

“Interest income, which was the item that really helped us out last year, I don’t think anybody can say with a straight face that’s going to remain the same going into 2025,” he said. “If that slips, that could be an issue for us.”

“I’m running out of options as far as cutting this budget, unless we somehow change operations, which generally means cut your wages and salaries, through attrition or some other way. And I’m not advocating for that, I’m just saying this is kind of where we’re at,” Stomberg said.

One positive thing for the county was that it has been able to build up reserves, Stomberg said. The county could potentially use some of its reserves, and help reduce the levy increase.

“By doing that, we’re kind of kicking the can down the road, but we’re trying to help mitigate it a little bit in not taking the full brunt of a 6% increase right in one shot,” he said.

Commissioners talked about a range of different possibilities for the preliminary budget and levy, and whether it was possible to reduce it while still meeting needs for items like capital projects.

Commissioners Paul Graupmann and Gary Crowley were both cautious about the idea of using county reserves.

“I don’t want to dig a hole for the future, basically,” Crowley said.

In the end, commissioners voted to approve setting the preliminary levy a little lower than 5.7%. The preliminary levy was set at $16,896,031, which would be an increase of 4.2% over 2024.