By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Despite a trend in the county to stick to revenue neutral budgets, Marion and Hillsboro have opted to keep open the option of raising their tax levies for the coming year.

County commissioners Monday approved a proposed revenue-neutral budget of $30,532,583, compared to $30,561,034 this year.

The cities of Florence, Lehigh, and Lost Springs also are proposing revenue neutral budgets.

Marion City Council members still have not seen a proposed budget but voted Monday to send the county clerk a notice that they might exceed the revenue-neutral tax rate.

Hillsboro City Council members reviewed a proposed $12,497, 384 budget for next year Tuesday night. Last year’s budget was $10,519,998.

After discussing possibilities for lowering costs but making no decisions, they voted to send the county a notice that they would exceed a revenue neutral rate.

Council members. like their Marion counterparts, said they wanted to keep their options open and could reduce the proposed budget later.

The county’s proposed budget is $28,451 lower than this year’s budget largely because it trims capital improvement from $4.9 million to $1.4 million.