MARSHALL — Lyon County commissioners gave final approval for a 2025 budget and a 4.2% levy increase on Tuesday.

While the approved budget included a levy increase of about $681,000, Lyon County Administrator Loren Stomberg said it also used about $325,000 of the county’s General Fund balance.

“I’m not real thrilled about red numbers in the budget. But I think for this set of circumstances it’s going to be OK,” Stomberg told commissioners.

In budget talks for 2025, Stomberg said the county faced challenges like a projected loss of revenue from falling interest rates.

Commissioners reviewed the proposed 2025 budget and levy on Tuesday. Earlier this year, the county had set a preliminary levy increase of 4.2% from 2024. The final levy increase could be lower than 4.2%, but not higher.

Stomberg said the proposed county budget included a total net levy of $16.896 million. That was an increase of $681,030 from 2024. The proposal also included increases to funds like the county’s general revenue, road and bridge fund, and the Southwest Health and Human Services levy.

“We would be looking at $325,000 use of general fund budget to balance this out, along with a 4.2% increase overall in our net levy,” Stomberg said.

He said anticipated reductions in interest revenue had an impact on the 2025 budget.

“We’ve been talking about this through the summer. I don’t have contingencies built in,” Stomberg said.

“The good news on the interest side, I think we’re bouncing back a little bit. It’s not falling as quickly as we anticipated,” Stomberg said of interest rates.

Commissioners had also been discussing that bonds issued for expansions and renovations at the Lyon County Government Center can be called starting in February.

“We can do some work with that, and free up some of this $1,264,000 in debt service,” Stomberg said. “So we’ve got some options to tighten this up.”

Commissioners voted to approve the 2025 budget and levy.