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The Mower County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a levy increase for 2025 of 4.99% during its meeting.

The levy increase represents $26,252,538 with a budget of $70,164,059 for the upcoming  year. County Administrator Trish Harren told commissioners that in past years the percentage of the budget the levy has represented has been as high as 40%, however, this year the levy represents 37% of the total budget.

“That is a really excellent result,” Harren said.

They also set a Truth in Taxation meeting, required by law, for 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 16 in the board meeting room in the basement of the Government Center.

This year’s levy increase represents a $1.2 million rise over 2024’s levy, while at the same time is less than the 2024 increase of 5.5%.

In order to get to 4.99%, commissioners asked department heads to look at steep cuts to its budget asks.

Public Works reduced its levy ask from 14.9% to .9% and has a budget of $21.5 million with over $18 million coming from non-levy dollars. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services decreased its ask from 13% to 1.1% and has a budget of $20 million with 12.5 million funded by non-levy dollars.  All of the other departments combined were asked to reduce from $19.9 to $18 million and sit at around a $30 million budget. This does not include recycling, which is paid by solid waste fees.

“In the end, the increase of $1.2 million over the 2024 budget is less than the actual increased cost of a negotiated cost of living increase of 2% and an anticipated health insurance increase of 7.75% (combined being $1.5 million), reflecting many tough decisions and work yet to be done,” Harren said in a letter last week.