|
 Board approves FY 2017 Budget and several tax levies
The board unanimously approved finance committee chairman's Chuck
Ruben motion for the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget, which runs from
December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017. The budget contains a few
changes from last year.
Ruben did not put in the total revenue for wind farm payments in the
budget as he is not sure when the money will come in.
Three percent raises for county employees increased salaries for
many departments. The biggest increase is in the total salary line
item for deputies, which increased from $97,308 in the 2016 budget
to $104,030 in the 2017 budget. Some of the increases are connected
to the group insurance amounts.
Other increases
A new line item for $30,000 went into Community Action Partnership
of Illinois (CAPCIL) for their Strengthening Families Initiative
program starting this winter. The board approved the amount in July.
The total for federal and state operating grants has increased from
$308,590 to $345,000. The biggest grant increase comes from the
public transportation grant, which was $270,000 last year and is
$325,000 this year. This grant is larger due to the increase in
services.
The County Clerk and Recorder Budget has increased significantly due
to the need for election equipment replacement. Ruben said he put
$55,000 more in that budget, an amount which is half of the $110,000
that will be needed to replace the equipment in a couple years.
The amount from last year that will roll into this year's budget is
$1,360,655.
Total expected expenditures are $8,875,978.
The biggest increases come from the public judiciary and court
related expenses, which are projected to increase from $1,995,488 to
$2,084,849. Jury fees have been raised from $20,000 to $40,000.
The total anticipated revenues for FY 2017 are $7,517,516. The
revenues come from property taxes, reimbursements, grants, and
circuit clerk fees. This amount has decreased from last year's
amount of $8,312,536.
The biggest decrease was the amount put in for revenue for the wind
farm permit fees, which was $800,000 in last year's budget and is
$250,000 in the upcoming budget. Ruben said he is not sure when the
revenue from the wind farm will come in.
Board approves twelve tax levies
The board also unanimously approved resolutions of several tax
levies. Ruben said there was $4,000,000 worth of new property this
year. He said the tax rate went from .77935 to .77082, so the "share
of what everyone paid went down a little bit."
 The levy requests and amounts include:
|
$1,503,331 |
Corporate
|
|
516,963 |
Illinois Municipal
Retirement Fund |
|
450,000 |
County Highway Fund
|
|
190,000 |
Bridge Fund
|
|
46,952 |
T.B. Sanitarium Fund
|
|
230,000 |
Federal Aid Matching
Grant |
|
372,357 |
Department of Public
Health |
|
174,113 |
Tort Judgments
|
|
283,000 |
Ambulance Service Fund
|
|
90,781 |
Cooperative Extension
Fund |
|
69,688 |
Senior Citizens Social
Services Fund |
|
143,720 |
County Veteran's
Assistance Fund |
The total for all the levies together would be $4,069,904.
County Clerk and Recorder Sally Turner said these are the estimated
amounts for the levies. They will know more after the Board of
Review looks at the amounts.
The board also unanimously approved the annual bond abatement
ordinance.
[to top of second column] |
Ruben thanked the committee members for their work on the budget and thanked Amy
Kuhlman, Sally Turner, and Vicki Dugan for making sure he did it right. He said
Kuhlman did a great job on it for her first year.
Hepler thanked Ruben and committee for the hard work on the budget. Hepler said
Ruben is "handed lemons in July and we wind up with lemonade in the fall."
Hepler said, "We have increased programs and the funding for them" and
"decreased taxes." He said some focus on revenue generation and others on cost
cutting, and many try to do both.
Hepler said the department heads should also be thanked.
Other motions:
Authorization of Transportation Grant
Transportation committee chairman Kevin Bateman's motion to approve a resolution
authorizing execution and amendment of the Downstate Operating Assistance
Agreement passed 8-2 with Kevin Bateman, Emily Davenport, Bob Farmer, David
Hepler, Pat O'Neill, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker, and Adam Schmidt voting
yes. Dave Blankenship and Gene Rohlfs voted no.
Community Action's Diane Turner thanked the board for their support and
continued efforts to make the transportation system work for the city and Logan
and Mason Counties.
Turner said, "We have been working really hard to try to expand the service."
She said they have gone from around 200 clients to almost 390 clients between
the two counties. They are working with the Veteran's Assistance Commission to
transport some of the veterans.
Insurance and Legislative update
The board unanimously approved Insurance and Legislative committee chairman
Scott Schaffenacker's motion for a rescission of the resolution for the
Alternate Juror Fee.
This rescission means the former resolution will be repealed.
Road and bridge update
The board unanimously approved a resolution to award a bridge construction
project in Mount Pulaski Township to UCN Incorporated in the amount of
$33,896.41.
Board members present were Kevin Bateman, Dave Blankenship, Emily Davenport, Bob
Farmer, David Hepler, Pat O'Neill, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker,
and Adam Schmidt. Rick Aylesworth and Miles Craig were absent.
The next Logan County Board Regular meeting for voting will be Tuesday, November
15, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
[Angela Reiners]
 |
