Wednesday, Nov. 23

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County to start new fiscal year budget
on time         
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[NOV. 23, 2005]  The county finally has a budget in place for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The process of keeping the budget in the black by the end of the year took the finance committee and the board a couple of extra meetings. With departments already pared down and costs still rising faster than revenues, the county had to look at where to either make cuts that would affect services or gain more revenue.

It was finally determined that it would be best to sell some long-held farm property. The income would help fill the gap until new public safety sales taxes and new businesses sales and property tax revenues kick in, in the future.

The following tax levies were independently approved:

  • General Fund -- $923,538
  • Ambulance Service Fund -- $151,000
  • Liability Insurance Fund -- $144,000
  • Tuberculosis Sanitarium Fund -- $1,000
  • Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and Social Security Fund -- $696,577
  • Logan County Health Department -- $371,231
  • County Highway Fund -- $339,530
  • County Bridge Fund -- $1,000
  • Highway Matching Tax Fund -- $1,000
  • Cooperative Extension Service Fund -- $98,000
  • Senior Citizens Fund -- $80,000

The $1,000 levied funds above have been temporarily reduced from their normal amounts in order to keep them open. They each have reserves.

Not everyone approved the allocations, but each passed.

The following votes against were cast:

  • Tuberculosis Sanitarium Fund -- Dick Logan, John Stewart and Patrick O'Neill
  • County Bridge Fund -- Logan
  • Highway Matching Tax Fund -- Rick Aylesworth, Logan, O'Neill, Stewart

[to top of second column in this article]

Stewart questioned if there were enough funds in the highway matching fund. He noted that work that had been scheduled for Elkhart did not get done this year. He also questioned if this is the fund that the Fifth Street Road project would use.

The fund is used to match federal dollars on special road projects.

Dale Voyles explained to him that that work didn't get done, due to a right-of-way dispute. The funds have been and are still there for that, and it is expected to be done next year.

The Fifth Street Road project federal dollars that come through the state have still not been released. It is unknown how much will actually reach us in that matching grant program, but funds are in reserve for that as well.

The board tentatively approved the budget on Oct. 18, and then it went up as required for a 30-day public display. The regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 15 was not yet 30 days later. So the board adjourned to meet on Nov. 22 in order to get the budget approved by the new fiscal year beginning on Dec. 1.

[Jan Youngquist]

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