The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is adding an additional $100,000 in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) contributions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, bringing the total to $400,000, to offset some of the county’s property tax asking. A portion of LOST funds are used by the county every year for property tax relief, $300,000 in FY25, but the supervisors had the option of increasing that amount in FY26 due to the fund’s overall health. County Auditor Kourtney Payer says the total levy will be lower in the coming fiscal year, regardless of the amount the supervisors choose.
Supervisor Mike Andersen favors giving taxpayers as much relief as is financially feasible, but Supervisors Scott Johnson and Gene Meiners question how it would impact the county’s LOST fund. Carroll County anticipates receiving $1.4 million per year from LOST, and Payer says they aren’t planning any major expenditures out of that fund.
Supervisors Mark McCrea and Stephanie Hausman say property tax relief is worth pursuing, but only if it doesn’t leave the county in a pinch down the line.
One downside to increasing the county’s LOST contribution is that if the supervisors pursue a larger project in the future or go back to $300,000, it would be perceived by the public as a property tax increase. Andersen made the motion to increase the LOST contribution to $400,000, seconded by McCrea. The motion passed 4-1, with Chair Scott Johnson logging the sole no vote. With the county’s FY26 budget figures now finalized, the proposed property tax levy for urban residents is $4.36351 per $1,000 of taxable assessed valuation, nearly 25 cents below the current fiscal year, and the proposed rural levy is $7.58608, down nearly 28 cents.
