A joint budget meeting was held at the Broken Bow Municipal Building on Monday evening, September 22. In attendance were members of the Custer County Board of Supervisors and the Superintendents from Callaway and Sargent School Districts.
They were there to hear from about 75 area residents on the tax increases proposed to go into effect in the 2025 – 2026 fiscal year. At least 20 citizens rose to provide remarks, ask questions and have their opinions heard.
Of the comments, two primary themes stood out for Custer County Supervisors. The first was that more work needed to be done to balance the budget, to include cuts to services provided, before taxes are raised.
The second theme of the evening was confusion and concern regarding how property valuations are established. Many at the meeting expressed dismay at valuations they said had increased substantially in the last year, causing a substantial tax burden.
Valuations are established by the County Assessors office. The County Assessor is responsible for establishing a “fair and equitable value on all real and personal property within the county,” according to the Custer County Assessor’s website.
The presentation and discussion with Callaway Superintendent JD Furrow and Sargent Superintendent Byron Olson proved less contentious.
Both Superintendents provided interested attendees with handouts describing the background and need for increased tax levies.
Olson noted as an example that Sargent School District is budgeting $240,000 to replace a fleet of vans that no longer meet federal regulations. Furrow stated that Callaway School District has actually been operating at a deficit , with a reduction over 10 years in the District’s general fund from around $1.3 million to a starting fund this year of $800,000. He stated that part of the need to increase the tax levy is to create a plan to accomplish projects in the school in a fiduciary and patient fashion, while trying to undo that deficit.
The Superintendents both offered to meet directly with their constituents as needed.
While the overall tax levy and budget are set for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Custer County Supervisor’s spokesperson Chip Blowers did note that the comments made would be taken into account in the process for next year.
