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NEW ULM -- Brown County Commissioners unanimously approved a 5.8% 2024 levy hike Tuesday.
Action to certify a $16,495,000 levy using $265,426 of reserves to lower the levy hike from 7.5% to 5.8% came on a motion by Commissioner Scott Windschitl, seconded by Dave Borchert.
"I recommend a 5.8% ($904,631) levy increase. I think we can do well at 5.8%," Windschitl said.
Not using reserve funds to lower the levy would have required a 7.5% ($1,170,057) levy increase above the 2023 certified levy.
Commissioner Borchert said mandated software subscription costs were a costly part of the 2024 budget.
"We've always been conservative, considerably less than some surrounding counties, which is good," said Windschitl.
Previous Brown County levy hikes were 4.9% in 2022, 2.0% in 2022, 3.75% in 2020 and 1.5% in 2019.
The adopted 2024 Brown County budget is $42,485,450. The 2023 adopted budget was $41,934,923.
Commissioners unanimously approved hiking 2024 commissioner salaries three percent to $28,898; plus $1,500 for the board chairman, $500 for the vice chairman and $75 per diem, motion by Commissioner Windschitl, seconded by Tony Berg.