Allen County commissioners fulfilled their promise to cut the mill levy to support the 2013 budget, but approved a spending plan Tuesday that has expenditures of $867,000 more than this year.
The levy will be the same at 67.635 mills, but will raise nearly $250,000 more in tax dollars because the county’s assessed valuation increased by $3.7 million to $95.87 million.
Revenue for the remainder of the additional increase in expenditures — next year’s will be $12.5 million compared to this year’s $11.65 million — will come from cash carried forward in several funds, including solid waste disposal, road and bridge construction and services to the elderly. Other revenue sources are sales tax, figured at $480,000 next year, motor vehicle taxes of $485,000 and various other fees and taxes.
General fund expenses of $5,314,613 are forecast for 2013, an increase of $240,000. Road and bridge is next at $2.3 million; special bridge is $285,000. Ambulance expenditures were put at $263,000, appraisal costs at $237,000.
The general fund pays for courthouse functions, including jail and law enforcement.
Since the first draft of next year’s budget was handed commissioners by their financial counsel, Rodney Burns, Chanute, early in July, commissioners examined each line item fund and cut expenditures with the central purpose to bringing the property tax levy in line with this year’s.
The final cuts came Tuesday when they reduced 5 percent increases in salary proposals to 2 percent, with a decision on whether raises will be awarded in January not a done deal. How individual budgets this year play out will be a factor in whether employees get larger paychecks in 2013.
After the proposed salary cuts, commissioners found themselves still with a levy increase.
They turned to budgets for the Sheriff’s Department and jail.
Commission Chairman Dick Works said that since Sheriff Tom Williams was elected to the first of two four-year terms in November 2004, expenditures in each department had more than doubled.
Then, sheriff’s expenditures stood at $400,000, for the jail at $380,000. Next year’s proposals were $795,118 for the jail, $870,000 for law enforcement. Operations of each department were moved into new quarters in the law enforcement center under Williams.
Commissioners reduced the jail budget to $770,576, the sheriff’s to $837,905.
The budgeting process this time around was the last for two commissioners, Gary McIntosh and Rob Francis. McIntosh did not run for re-election and in the GOP primary Jim Talkington bettered Don Bauer for the nomination to replace him. Williams, meanwhile, defeated Francis, also in the Republican primary. Neither nominee has an opponent in the Nov. 6 general election.
