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County board OKs budget By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer Marshall
County residents will not see a tax increase on real and personal
property for the upcoming fiscal year beginning October 1. The tax levy
will remain the same as last year at 112.63 mills. The
total county budget for the fiscal year was adopted at $19,639,963,
with a total revenue projected at $17,941,173. The nearly $2 million
difference in the adopted budget and projected revenue is accounted for
by carry-over funds from the present fiscal year. Projected revenue is
down for the upcoming year due to a decrease in the total assessed
value of property in the county. About 70 percent
of the revenue in the new budget is derived from ad valorem taxes,
according to chancery clerk Chuck Thomas. The remaining 30 percent
comes from a variety of sources including penalties, fees, permits,
fines and grant monies. The value of the mill
dropped $5,857 for the new fiscal year. Last year the general county
mill was worth $180,023 and this year the general county mill is worth
$174,166. Last year the road and bridge mill was worth $165,689 and
this year the mill dropped $4,300 to $161,389. The
loss in revenue expected in the county due to the decrease in the total
assessed valuation of the county created a $400,000 budget deficit in
the general county fund and a $200,000 deficit in the road and bridge
fund. Supervisors chose an across-the-board cut
in department budgets of 3.3 percent rather than raise the mill rate.
Health insurance increased by 17 percent for the county. Employees
received no cost of living raises this year - the third straight year
of no raises - in order to hold down the tax burden for taxpayers. Thomas
said if the budget had not been slashed by 3.3 percent, the general
county mill rate would have been raised by 2.45 mills and the road and
bridge mill rate would have increased by 1.23. The school district did not request an increase in revenue this year. The budget is published on page 11.
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