Jill Schramm/MDN Ward County commissioners discuss the county’s 2026 preliminary budget at their meeting Aug. 5.

After tightening a 2026 budget draft to a spending level deemed as essential, Ward County commissioners still face the need to cut $745,120 from the property tax levy to fall under the state’s 3% cap on increases.

At the commission’s Aug. 5 meeting, Chairman John Fjeldahl said a public vote to increase the levy beyond the cap isn’t an option.

“If we had to decide to go to a vote with this, and we decided not to cut anymore, we don’t have time to have a vote. So, we don’t have a choice here. We’ve got to seriously cut something,” he said.

Facing an Aug. 10 deadline to adopt a preliminary budget, the commission approved the $68 million spending plan despite not having a clear

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