Donley County Commissioners are proposing a slightly higher tax rate to support a fiscal year 2015 budget that is $63,000 higher than the current budget.
Commissioners have spent several hours in called meeting to prepare the $2.175 million budget, and County Judge Jack Hall is happy with the results.
“I think our budget looks really good this year,” Hall said.
Valuations on properties subject to the county’s ad valorem tax rate are $17,118,475 higher than last year. Commissioners want to increase the county’s total tax rate by about one penny from $0.632279 to $0.642546 per $100 valuation. The total county tax levy on a $50,000 home would increase by about $5.13.
The budget includes raises for county employees to the tune of $1,000 across the board for full time employees, and part time employees who work half a day would receive a $500 raise. The budget also reflects increased health insurance premiums of about 5.1 percent.
To avoid a deficit in the Road & Bridge fund, the 2015 budget will move part of the expense for road hand salaries into the general budget for the county.
A review of the proposed budget reveals no significant changes compared to the current budget. The proposal maintains a county contingency fund of $18,000 as well as a $30,000 line item for any ongoing preservation work that may need to be done on the 1890 Courthouse. Hall said in the next fiscal year the county will look at repairing cracked plaster and sandstone that is spalling.
Hall also said the proposed 2015 budget will carry over a “capital murder” line item of $30,000 from the current budget for any appeal expenses that might arise from the Robert Babcok case.
The county’s budget process began in July, Hall said.
Public tax hearings will be held September 8 and 12, and both the tax rate and the budget will be voted on by commissioners on September 15. All meetings will start at 9 a.m.
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