County to increase funding for library

Donley County’s proposed budget raises taxes slightly but allows for a modest increase in salaries and restores some funding to the Burton Memorial Library.

The county’s total tax rate – ad valorem, special, and debt rate combined – will go from $0.657406 to $0.673110 and will raise the annual tax on a home valued at $100,000 by $15.70.

The $2.4 million budget proposed by commissioners is about $202,000 higher than the current budget, but nearly half of that increased spending is covered by a grant from the governor’s office, which will provide more than $99,000 for highway safety enforcement… essentially covering the cost of employing and equipping one deputy.

County Judge John Howard said the fiscal year 2016 budget also benefits from a health insurance premium rebate of $39,401 that was the result of the county’s claims experience.

“The actual tax increase will cost the average taxpayer less than one cent per day, but we were able to do a lot with that,” Howard said.

The added tax revenue will bring in $21,700 to county coffers, but the insurance rebate and the benefit of the grant gave the county the opportunity to give full time county employees at $100 a month raise and a $50 per month raise to part time employees working 20 hours. Those raises will cost the county $51,278 for the year.

This budget also reflects a two percent increase in health insurance premiums on the expense side, and a $10,000 decrease in anticipated revenue from vehicle registrations on the income side due to the county getting less money from registrations when people renew those online.

Budget conditions being more favorable this year also allowed the county to partially reverse cuts it made last year in its support for the Burton Memorial Library, restoring $5,000 out of the $8,000 reduction and bringing county support for the library to $30,000.

Looking ahead, Howard said the county hopes to do more to improve salaries and build operating reserves in fiscal year 2018 as payments being coming in from the Salt Fork wind farm.

Public tax hearings for the county will be held September 2 and September 6. Both meetings will be held at 9 a.m.