Moody County residents will see a slight adjustment to their property tax bills in 2025 to account for a new road and bridge maintenance, repair and construction levy.
Commissioners this past week approved a resolution establishing an annual $500,000 county-wide levy after months of conversations about how they might avoid it. Current funds allocated for the highway budget haven’t been enough to keep up with the cost of materials needed for road maintenance, equipment, staffing, and other expenses.
The county, “...in order to cover costs of its entire operation, has been forced to reduce the funds
provided to the Moody County Highway Department, which in turn has reduced the ability of the Highway Department to meet its obligations,” a portion of the resolution passed on March 6 reads.
Not only are expenses increasing, but county officials state that road usage continues to rise each year by more and more people and bigger and bigger farm equipment.
The County Highway Department is responsible each year for maintaining 122 miles of gravel roadway, 166 miles of paved roadway, and 52 bridges. Ten of those 52 bridges cross the Big Sioux River and have needed to be replaced within the past ten years at a cost to the county of $4.5 million dollars.
State law allows commissioners the ability to levy an annual tax as a reserve fund that can be set aside for the purpose of maintaining, repairing, constructing, and reconstructing roads and bridges. The $500,000 should be distributed proportionally across properties county-wide, and payable in 2025.
If it’s still a challenge to keep up with expenses, the levy can be raised on an annual basis. The state does put a cap however on what that amount can be based on the total taxable valuation of the county.
The changes come as the county highway team returns to summer hours and prepares to begin a series of road projects.
