The process of setting the next Woodbury County government budget is underway, and at least one leader wants to reduce the property tax levy.
Last spring, the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors passed a budget totaling $58 million for the 2025-26 year. The county board members have been working since early January on the FY2027 budget that all counties in Iowa must set by April.
County Board Chairman Mark Nelson told Siouxland Public Media News, “Our intent is to lower the levy, (or) at least keep it the same.”
The Woodbury County property tax levy for people living in towns is currently $7.11 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation.
In the last four weeks, the county supervisors have reviewed the proposed budgets for such departments as county roads, emergency management, district court, and the county library system.
The supervisors have yet to address some key decisions on the budgets for several large county departments, any large-dollar items in the Capital Improvement Plan, and wages for non-union personnel.
A county memo this week showed an estimated $525,000 will be received next year as revenues from county gambling, while $720,000 could be received as the county’s portion of the 1-cent local option sales tax.
