By Roger McKinney

rmckinney@joplinglobe.com

COLUMBUS, Kan. — The Cherokee County commissioners in September said they were pleased with the 2010 budget that kept the same property tax rate as this year. The good news didn’t last long.

When County Clerk Crystal Gatewood certified the county’s tax rate with the state last week, the 2010 rate was set at 53.201 mills, higher than this year’s rate of 52.869 mills.

The commissioners on Monday said that because the county’s property valuation decreased, the tax rate that had been set in September would not cover expenses in the approved budget. They said the tax rate had to be raised to meet expenses.

Under the new rate, the owner of a house in the county with a $100,000 market value would pay property taxes of $611.81 to support the county budget. That’s an increase of $3.82 from this year, when the homeowner is paying $607.99.

Cherokee County’s property valuation dropped nearly 2 percent this year, from $136 million last year to $133.4 million.

The commissioners are reviewing health insurance plans, and they said that effort and other possible cuts may allow the county to reduce the property tax rate in the near future.

“We’ve got a good shot at bringing her back down,” Commissioner Pat Collins said Monday.

Ivan Crossland Jr., chairman of a committee that made recommendations on the budget to the commission, said he is giving the commissioners the benefit of the doubt, for now. He said he thinks the commissioners are working hard to reduce costs. He said changes in the employee health insurance package could save the county millions of dollars over time.

Crossland said: “They still have a lot of work to do in the tough decision category.”

Around the horn

Among Columbus, Baxter Springs and Galena — the county’s most populous towns — Columbus has the highest combined county, city, school district and state property tax rate.

The combined property tax rate in Columbus is set at 152.701 mills, up from 149.728 this year. The city and school district both increased their tax rates. The owner of a house in Columbus with a $100,000 market value will pay total property taxes next year of $1,710.06, up from $1,675.87 this year.

The combined county, city, school district and state property tax rate in Baxter Springs is 135.936 mills, up from 131.919 mills. The owner of a $100,000 house in Baxter Springs would pay total property taxes of $1,517.26 next year, an increase from $1,471.07 this year.