Seneca County draft budget up 13.3% but taxes will drop slightly

Seneca County Manager Kyle Lovell has presented a 2024 budget plan that increases overall spending but lowers the property tax rate.

The tentative budget, amounting to $88.4 million, marks a 13.3% rise from the previous year’s $78.09 million.

Despite a $355,000 increase in the property tax levy, the rate per $1,000 of assessed value is projected to decrease from $3.79 to $3.33, making it the ninth consecutive year without a tax rate hike.

Lovell attributed the tax rate decline to heightened sales tax revenues and gaming proceeds from the del Lago Resort & Casino. These revenues have bolstered the county’s financial standing post-pandemic, reducing dependency on property taxes for operating costs.

Despite the optimism, some board members expressed concerns over the budget’s sustainability, given the reliance on reserve funds to mitigate tax levy increases and the elimination of 10 long-standing vacant positions.

The budget’s deadline is December 20.