Donley County Commissioners have proposed a slightly smaller budget than last year, but taxes will still have to be raised slightly to support it, according to documents on file in the County Clerk’s office.
“We feel like this is a good budget for the county,” Judge Jack Hall said.
The $2.08 million budget is about $88,000 less than last year’s budget, but the county is also expecting to collect less from some revenue sources.
The proposed budget forecasts that the county will receive only $5,000 in taxes on automobile sales compared to $23,000 that was budgeted last year. The budget also expects lower revenues from the justice of the peace court in Precincts 3&4.
Several categories in the budget have been trimmed this year, but the county is figuring on giving employees a three percent raise. Commissioner salaries will not be raised.
The budget includes $564,979.68 for the operations of the sheriff’s department and county jail. That’s up about $915 from the 2009 budget. Like last year, the county budget is calculated with a planned $140,000 from a law enforcement contract with the City of Clarendon. At press time, city aldermen were meeting on that subject.
The taxable value of ad valorem property in the county has increased approximately $8.5 million, and commissioners are proposing a total tax rate of $0.527491 per $100 valuation. That’s up from last year’s tax rate of $0.511214.
The county expects to collect about $689,983.88 from ad valorem taxes, which is up from $623,769.81 last year.
Commissioners will hold a budget hearing at 9 a.m. on September 11, and both the tax rate and the budget will be voted on when the commissioners’ court meets on September 21.
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