Lower Budget Up for Approval in December by County Board of Commissioners
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County spending is down and the county tax rate will stay the same.
That's the report from County Executive Thomas L. Hickner in the annual budget proposal to the Bay County Board of Commissioners (BOC).
A $33.6 million Bay County budget for Fiscal Year 2008, down from $34.4 million this year, will be considered Dec. 11 by the BOC.
General fund expenditures as proposed by Mr. Hickner will be reduced by 2.3 percent ($806,555) from 2007.
Meanwhile, commissioners last Tuesday levied the new 1 mill library operations tax approved Nov. 6 by voters. The 0.9953 mill rate for the 20 year Construction/Operation for the recent construction/ renovation of the Library buildings was levied at the Oct. 16 meeting, according to Robert Redmond, board legislative/financial aide.
The 0.9953 rate is a rollback from the original 1 mill levy, reduced because of Headlee Act limitations, according to County Treasurer Rick Brzezinski.
The BOC amended the October levy to include the 1 mill operational millage that was passed November 6th. Now, both the 0.9953 for debt service/operations and the 1 mill for operations have been levied, said Mr. Redmond.
The action clarifies an earlier MyBayCity.com report that the reduction was applied to the 1 mill operational levy approved Nov. 6. In fact the reduction was applied to the earlier 1 mill levy for construction and operations.
The county's tax base is projected to increase 3.8 percent by $114 million, from $2.997 billion in 2006 to $3.111 billion. The largest share of that increase comes from new construction, $78.1 million.
"Due to the change in state law as part of the elimination of state revenue sharing, the county general fund will levy its taxes in July 2008 as opposed to December 2007," said Mr. Hickner.
"Counties can now draw down state revenue sharing from the new revenue sharing reserve fund that is funded by accelerated property tax payments," he added
. Investment income is down 43 percent ($431,566) from a FY 2000 high of $1,003,566, said the county executive. The FY 2008 projected investment income is $575,000.
General funding in selected departments proposed for FY 2008 is: sheriff, $5,162,806; probate court and child care fund, $1,949,388; prosecuting attorney, $1,560,127; criminal legal defense, $1,156,738; circuit court and jury, $1,078,561; animal control, $372,470; community center/pool, $132,234; parks maintenance, $129,427.
Total county employment in June 2007 is down to 636 employees from 708 employees in June 2002, a 10.7 percent (72 positions) reduction. The 2008 budget includes projected wage increases of 2 percent for all full and part time employees and elected officials. No county contribution to the retirement system will be required because the funded ratio is 131 percent, the executive said.
Also, a V.E.B.A. (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) initiated in 2001 to help pay for future retiree health insurance costs now has a balance of $5.13 million. The county's V.E.B.A. is similar to plans recently adopted by the Big 3 automakers.###
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