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County sets budget at $24.5 million, levy is set at $9,379,433
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The 2010 Houston County levy will be $9,379,433. The county board approved it at the Dec. 22 meeting. The 2010 levy is $435,097 higher than the 2009 levy, which constitutes an increase of 4.86 percent.
The 2010 county operating budget was also approved at the Dec. 22 meeting. The budget will be $24,566,722.
In a memo to the county board County Financial Director Casey Bradley stated:
“Between August 2009 and December 2009 the 2010 budget was decreased by $281,162. The budget has decreased $192,435 or 2.2 percent between the September certification and the current proposed budget.
“Roughly half of the anticipated bonding costs of the CJC (criminal justice center) are within the proposed budget, or $399,009.
“The budget contains the anticipated 2010 county program aid (CPA) unallotment of $243,243. Over the past three years these unallotments have totaled $513,210. The unallotment in 2008 occurred with little to no notice from the state, which prevented the county from making budget adjustments and forced us to supplement the budget with fund balance.
“In 2009 we received advanced notice of the anticipated unallotments shortly after adopting the county budget. In an effort to be as proactive as possible we cut roughly five percent of our operating budgets in anticipation of the unallotments that occurred with the July aid payments. When the cuts were announced in July they also outlined the anticipated cuts that would be taking place in fiscal year 2010. Therefore the county board decided to make these cuts permanent and the starting base for the 2010 budget.”
According to figures supplied by Bradley:
• In 2008 the county was certified to receive $1,032,762 in state aid and received $882,601.
• In 2009 the county was certified to receive $1,132,165 and should receive $1,012,359.
• Projected for 2010 the county is certified to receive $1,149,468 and projected to receive $906,225.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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