Donley County Commissioners are proposing a $4.37 million budget for fiscal year 2023, an increase of about $880,441 compared to the current budget, but a large portion of that increase will not come from local tax dollars.
A public hearing on the budget and on the tax rate to support that budget will be August 29 at 1:00 p.m.
The proposed budget includes more than $636,000 in ARPA (federal COVID relief) funds with most of that money being directed toward courthouse repairs and other government services. Donley County Judge John Howard said the county is budgeting with the possibility of receiving a large preservation grant from the state. The county officials were notified recently that their application for additional courthouse restoration funds from the state had been turned down, but Howard there may still be a chance of getting some partial funding.
Regardless of whether the county receives a grant, the judge says officials will proceed with soliciting bids to repair windows in the 1890 courthouse at an expected cost of more than $100,000.
New this coming fiscal year, Howard says county employees will be required to cover 20 percent of their health insurance premiums. To ease the transition to that, most county employees will see their salaries increase by $2,400 in the new budget.
The 2023 budget is supported by a proposed total tax rate of $0.595644 per $100 valuation, which is almost two cents lower than the current tax rate. The proposed tax rate brings in about $32,334 more in property taxes than last year.
Two new items in the budget are $500 to support Snack Pak 4 Kids and $1,000 to support the Tralee Crisis Center.
The budget also includes $85,000 to match grant funds that would purchase and install emergency generators at the Donley County Senior Citizens Center, the Donley County Activity Center, and the Red Cross emergency shelter at the First United Methodist Church. Funds are also available to make improvements to the former tax appraisal building for the sheriff’s office to use as a training location and to improve the Precinct 3 barn in Hedley.
The county will receive its sixth of ten annual payments from the wind farm in the next fiscal year, an amount of $200,000.
A copy of the proposed budget will be on file at the county clerk’s office August 15 and be vailable on the county website.
Commissioners formally proposed the budget and the tax rate during their regular meeting Monday, August 8.
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