HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With no public comments during the public hearing, the Reno County Commission approved the 2020 budget during its meeting Tuesday.

The budget for next year totals $75,687,419 on total taxes levied of $25,080,339. With that, the mill levy will stay at 41.6 mills.

The budget includes increases for employee benefits totaling more than $11.3 million and capital improvements totaling $1.135 million. The county’s road and bridge fund will have $6.5 million in its budget with several large projects in the works for next year.

The county will also add one position within the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, according to County Administrator Gary Meagher. He says this position will be for the offender registration department, which he says has seen significant growth.

Commissioners also budgeted the cost to do some weatherization for the Reno County Courthouse. Meagher says the commission has been wanting to get the weatherization done, but it has previously been put off because of budget restraints.

The commission also approved the budgets for special districts in the county.