By Steve Sanders, countyreporter@laurelleadercall.com
August 19, 2008 09:17 am
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The Jones County Board of Supervisors will adopt the 2009 budget on Sept. 2 following a public hearing. The budget does not include a tax increase, but does include a three percent across-the-board salary raise for employees.
“We have absorbed all of the increased fuel costs and provided minimum budget increases because of new growth,” Beat Three Supervisor Barry Saul said following a Monday morning board meeting. “If people have not made any improvements to their property or have not bought a new car, their taxes won’t go up.”
Added into the budget is a 3.7 percent “growth increase,” explained by the board as coming from an increased assessment in property values.
Specific figures of increased departmental budgets — such as the sheriff’s office — will not be available until Friday, said Charles Miller, county administrator. Legal ads appearing in the Laurel Leader-Call Friday, Aug. 22, and Friday, Aug. 29, will detail the budget.
Miller said the sheriff’s budget will be increased, but he does not yet have a dollar figure or a percentage increase figure. Last week Sheriff Alex Hodge requested a 42 percent increase — or nearly an additional $2 million — to his current $2.8 million budget.
“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve been able to make, and I’m thankful they’re (supervisors) working with us in our efforts to move forward and provide the greatest level of protection to the citizens of this county and to the people in this department,” Hodge said. “I don’t know a dollar figure yet but we will get an increase. They’re doing all they can, and we’ll just have to keep digging.”
Hodge said his department has generated $185,000 in fines and process fees this year than was anticipated. The money goes into the county’s general fund, and is not available through the budget for the sheriff to use for his department. “They look at that during the budget process as to what revenue we will be able to generate,” he said.
“It’s a start but it’s certainly not where we need to be,” Hodge added. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction. My goal is to educate the public on exactly what challenges and obstacles we face.”
Also last week, The Jones County Fire Council asked supervisors for an additional $6,000 for each of the county’s 19 volunteer fire departments.
According to the legal ad, supervisors propose to increase property tax revenue by 3.7 percent, from $18,441.219 to $19,130,060, an approximately $688,000 increase, while the tax stays at 52.15 mills. Also, the Jones County School Board plans to increase its property tax revenue by three percent. The school millage will stay at 54.77 mills.
The public hearing to discuss the budget will be held at the courthouse in Ellisville Sept. 2 at 10 a.m.
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