The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors approved the fiscal year 2021 budget at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Supervisors explained that some budget cuts were made since the public hearing notice was published, including $50,000 removed from the Sheriff’s Office and $39,000 from Environmental Health. Lake Panorama Association General Manager John Rutledge asked Board Chair Mike Dickson to explain how they determined those decreases, to which Dickson replied, “After we compiled everything and put it in the budget. We’re sitting here and we’re looking at raising the levy rates from last year so we went back to the departments and asked if they can make some cuts and that’s what we have come back with.”

Supervisor Cliff Carney’s motion to approve the budget with a levy rate of $3.80 for general basic, a decrease from the originally published $3.82; about $1.89 for general supplemental, lower than the previously published $1.94; $3.25 for rural services, lower than the previously published $3.29; with about 32 cents for mental health; was passed on a 3-2 vote with Dickson and Everett Grasty voting nay. The Board then tabled a resolution to adopt the taxes for next fiscal year until they can have the updated figures in front of them.