During the Hamilton County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, the public hearing was set for the consideration of the maximum tax levy for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

That date is March 25.

This public hearing is required before the supervisors can finalize their budget. The county is different than other entities; they cannot finalize their budget until they have the public hearings.

The other public hearings generally have a budget prepared and then approved at the same meeting.

For the county they will set the levy at the highest level to assure that they can meet their budget.

This happens annually, and the levy is usually reduced once the final budget figures are determined. Taxpayers are encouraged to attend this and any of the tax levy public hearings to ask questions, and offer input.

“It’s important to understand where your tax levies are coming from and how they are established,” said County Supervisor Chairman Rick Young.

But this one meeting does not show the entire picture.

Every entity that is supported by a tax levy is required to prepare a budget and have a public hearing. Those entities are:

Hamilton County Ag Extension –Budget published Feb. 27; hearing was March 6.

Van Diest Medical Center — Budget to be published Friday; hearing will be March 24 at 6 p.m.

Webster City Community Schools — Budget to be published Monday; first hearing will be at 5:45 p.m. on April 13; second hearing will be at 6 p.m. on April 13.

Hamilton County Maximum Levy budget for 2026-2027 — no budget yet, March 25 at 9 a.m.

Hamilton County Assessor — no budget yet, public hearing will be on March 25 after the County public hearing, approximately 9:30 a.m.

City of Webster City — no budget yet, public hearing will be on April 6 at 5:45 p.m.

Public notices and budgets are printed in the newspaper, and county residents will be getting a notice of the proposed maximum tax levy for the county, the city and the schools.

Attending these public hearings is a critical time to be heard. For those attending for the first time, they need to be aware that the procedure should be as follows: The budget will be presented, then they will ask for public input, either in opposition or in support.

“We have to publish at the maximum levy rate, knowing we cannot raise this,” said Kim Schaa, Hamilton County auditor.

“After that hearing we will set a budget hearing date, a public hearing to adopt the budget,” she continued. “Most likely it will be reduced, but until we have the budget finalized we don’t know what the levy will need to be.”

Raising or lowering a budget can happen during the public hearing, said Schaa.