Preliminary budget is within tax cap

SCHUYLER COUNTY--Schuyler County Administrator Tim O'Hearn released the 2017 preliminary budget information last week, indicating the tax levy is expected to increase less than 1 percent. He said the tax levy is expected to increase 0.36 percent, which amounts to a $39,331 increase for a total levy of $11,058,944. This will keep the county within the state tax cap for next year. O'Hearn said the tax rate will decrease by 5.85 percent to $7.69 per $1,000 of assessed value, down from $8.17.
"The county is retiring debt on one of its facilities this year which will eliminate debt service payments in 2017, plus increased revenue from the new casinos help to stabilize the spending increase next year," O'Hearn said. "The largest area of growth comes in health insurance which is scheduled to increase by 14 percent in 2017. Increased employee contributions have resulted in an actual local share increase of 10 percent, however. The initial budget I proposed as budget officer called for a tax levy increase of 2.37 percent with a 4 percent drop in the rate."
O'Hearn said the state tax cap would have allowed for an increase of 3.27 percent in the tax levy. However, the preliminary budget numbers show the county could remain $320,842 below the cap. O'Hearn noted the tax rate would have been $7.92 per $1,000 of assessed value if the budget was at the cap.
The total budgetary expenses for the preliminary 2017 budget amount to $46,125,520, which is up $724,491 or 1.6 percent from 2016. Meanwhile, the revenue side of the budget saw a 1.99 percent or $685,160 increase in 2017, totaling $35,066,576.
The administrator mentioned the 2017 preliminary budget numbers came after two days of committee workshops, adding the management and finance committee has not yet released it to the full legislature. This will be done at a meeting held Tuesday, Oct. 25, at which time it will become the tentative budget. O'Hearn said a public hearing and budget presentation is scheduled for Nov. 14 at the regular legislative meeting.