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By ROY GRABER
Courier Editor

The Cowley County Commission on Tuesday morning unanimously approved the budget for the county and for the fire districts in the county, raising the overall mill levy by 1.44.

The increase would equate to a $16 tax increase on a $100,000 home.

The total mill levy amounts to 42.313.

County administrator Leroy Alsup said the assessed valuation is down slightly from the previous year, but with no growth in the tax base, a raise in mill levy was tough to avoid.

Alsup added that the county also needed to take into account an increase in fuel prices, road maintenance materials, health insurance, plus a three-percent cost-of-living salary increase for all county employees except for Alsup and the three commissioners. Their salaries will remain the same.

The commission held a public comment session on Tuesday morning, but nobody came to speak in favor or against the budget.

"Based on what we were faced with, it's a justifiable and reasonable request," said commission chairman Gary Wilson. "I would like to commend the staff on this. They worked very hard on this, it's well-prepared."

Commissioner Dick Bonfy asked if the representatives from the fire districts were comfortable with their budgets, and County Clerk Karen Brooks said everybody seemed to be "fine with everything."