Douglas County’s proposed $79 million budget, which would hold property tax rates consistent with 2015, will go before county commissioners for approval Wednesday evening.

Commissioners reached a tentative agreement on the budget in July after three days of discussion. The proposed budget for 2016 would maintain the county’s mill levy at 41.01 mills.

If approved, the budget takes effect January 1, 2016, County Administrator Craig Weinaug said.

During the budget discussion county commissioners offered the Lawrence Community Shelter $50,000 in emergency funding from the 2015 budget — the offer was contingent upon a matching contribution from the city — but they declined to increase their annual allotment by $100,000 for the 2016 budget.

The proposed budget for 2016 holds the shelter’s funding constant at $115,000, Weinaug said.

The shelter’s director of program development and operations said the organization needed more money to compensate for unforeseen expenses and fundraising issues that arose after moving to a newer and bigger building at 3655 East 25th St. more than two years ago.

Commissioners left the door open to providing the shelter with financial assistance in 2016, but wanted to see the organization’s budget balanced with the current level of funding before any additional help was offered, Weinaug said.

Other budget requests discussed in July:

• Commissioners denied the City of Eudora’s request for $827,780 for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical. The money would have been used to buy an ambulance and hire and equip seven full-time employees to be housed in Eudora’s Public Safety Facility.
• Commissioners approved $333,729 in funding for the hiring of six correctional officers for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
• Commissioners rejected a request for $450,000 from the Lawrence Humane Society to renovate and expand the facility. A $15,000 increase in annual funding from $28,000 to $43,000 was approved, however. That money will be used to help the humane society house more stray animals.

County commissioners meet at 4 p.m. each Wednesday at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The meetings are open to the public.

Also on this week’s agenda:

• Authorize the county administrator to execute loan documents approved this March in the amount of $143,294.50 for renovations to be made within the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, 2920 Haskell Ave.
• Consider approval of a resolution adopting text amendments to floodplain management regulations.
• Consider approval of the following Community Corrections items: Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Adjust Report, Fiscal Year 2016 Revised Grant Budget and Fiscal Year 2016 Revised Behavioral Health Grant Budget.
• Consider a Conditional Use Permit for a Value-added Agricultural Business, The Burning Barrel, a specialty meat processing shop, located approximately 30 acres at 292 N 2100 Rd.

A full agenda can be found online at www.douglascountyks.org/commission/meetings.