Budget proposal is released by county

Alleghany County Manager Don Adams presented the county commission with a proposed budget for fiscal year 2002-2003 on Monday. The budget totaled $10,171,779, a decrease of about 6.6 percent versus last year's budget.

No tax increase was planned, meaning that the county's tax rate will likely remain at 55 cents per $100 of real estate value.

About 53 percent of the county's budget, as proposed, is funded by property taxes. The county tax office's collection rate is 95.74, down from almost 97 percent last year. The state average collection rate is 96.44. Adams pointed out Monday that the local tax office's five-year average is consistent with the state average.

Grants and matching funds account for about 17 percent of the county's revenues. Among programs funded through grants are the $400,000 scattered-site housing program, the $75,000 Support Our Students (SOS) program, $63,116 in transportation funds, $61,443 for the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and $36,799 for the Criminal Justice Partnership Program. Other reimbursements in the category include reimbursements for the Alleghany County Department of Social Services, a veterans' reimbursement, soil and water reimbursements and funding for Emergency Management.

Sales taxes account for the remaining 14 percent of the county revenues. Projected sales tax revenue for the county is $1,455,000.

Service fees account for about 8 percent of county revenues. The county has seen a decline in revenues for the boarding of federal prisoners, from about $250,000 to $175,000. However, with the new ambulance rates, revenues from that service are expected to increase to $270,000.

Miscellaneous revenues account for about 5 percent of the county budget. Those revenues include interest earned on investment, occupancy tax, ABC revenues, gasoline reimbursements and other funding.

The final category, which Gov. Mike Easley is proposing to close out, is state tax allotments and reimbursements. The county gets about $299,000 from the state per fiscal year. The county budget does plan to use these funds, even though the state is already withholding about $117,000 from Alleghany County that was due this fiscal year. If the county does not get the funds, the shortage would have to come from the fund balance.

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