Jackson County Commission proposes 2022 budget

The proposed county budget for next year includes a 1.12-mill decrease and raises for all full-time county employees.

With an $4.5 million increase in county valuation, the decrease in the county mill levy will still generate an additional $181,252 in county taxes next year.

The proposed mill rate for the 2022 budget is 72.986 mills, down from this year’s 74.106 mills.

The proposed mill rate is above the county revenue neutral rate and will require an additional hearing before the budget is approved. In order to have a revenue neutral budget, the county’s mill rate would have to be 71.648 mills, it was reported. 

The proposed budget includes a 50 cent an hour raise for all full-time county employees, as well as an additional $1 an hour raise for county positions that are difficult to fill, according to the Jackson County Commissioners.

Positions that will receive the additional $1 an hour raise include blade operators at the road and bridge department and patrol deputies, dispatchers and corrections officers. 

With the new budget, the county expects to collect $9,895,940 in local taxes, which is up from the $9,714,688 collection estimate for this year.

The county’s maximum budget authority for the proposed budget totals $16,665,352, which includes $7,656,787 for the general fund, $3,711,775 for the road and bridge department and $2,900,427 for the sheriff’s office. 

Other department budgets include $239,341 for noxious weed, $153,550, for elderly services, $178,593 for the 911 fund, $184,168 for parks and recreation, $180,990 for the special alcohol fund and $130,000 for the auto tag fee fund. 

A total of $1,044,336 is being budgeted for in the county’s special .4 percent sales tax fund for road and bridge projects, which is more than in recent years.

For more on this story, please log in to your holtonrecorder.net account and select the Aug. 11, 2021 edition under “E-Editions.”