As the county continues to work to pay off a recent county jail, for which $41 million is still owed, the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors are expected to pass a new budget next week with minimal borrowing.
In a Tuesday, April 28 meeting at the Woodbury County Courthouse, the supervisors are expected to finalize their 2027 year budget of $60 million, with the same property tax levy rate as this year.
Ahead of that, in the board meeting this week, the supervisors discussed carrying out borrowing of up to $1.2 million for this fiscal year.
That will be a way to pay $600,000 for the demolition of the former Woodbury County Jail downtown, which was finished in March. Other money includes $235,000 for the recent paving of roadways at Little Sioux Park near Correctionville.
County Finance Director Ryan Ericson told Siouxland Public Media the county has been typically borrowing about $1.2 million in recent years.
The exception came with the huge endeavor when voters in March 2020 approved a $54 million dollar bond issue to build a new jail on the city’s east side.
Many construction delays pushed the facility opening back to September 2024, and the cost ballooned to $69 million.
Ericson said the county currently is holding $52 million in debt, with $41 million still owing on the jail, which will pay off in 2040.
Another $1.2 million of debt could be placed in the final version of the 2026-27 budget.
The Woodbury County property tax levy for people living in towns is currently $7.11 per $1,000 of taxable property valuation. That levy amount is also projected to be finalized when the 2026-27 budget is adopted on April 28.
