County manager presents proposed budget for ‘07-'08

County Manager Don Adams presented the Alleghany County Commission with a proposed 2007-2008 budget Monday night totaling $14,545,585.

The budget was up 3.1 percent from last year's approved budget of $14,107,496; however, it was down about 1.9 percent from the total amended budget (running total) of $14,826,534.

Adams recommended a tax rate of 43 cents per $100 in real estate value, which he said is in keeping with the commissioners' wishes to maintain a revenue-neutral rate. In other words, the commissioners asked the manager to set a tax rate that would maintain current levels of funding in light of revaluation.

In a handout, Adams noted that the county's rate was calculated by state specifications, which state that the county's estimated tax receivables for 2006-2007 were $7,110,000 based on a collection rate of 95.9 percent. Adams said the 43 cent rate would produce $7,243,105 in revenues in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Also included was a 2 percent pay increase for all county employees. Adams' budget message spelled out each section of the budget by category, with revenues, expenditures, capital improvements, debt service, special appropriations, the board of education and special funds each separated into individual subsections.

Adams also presented a mock .20 cent tax rate budget in order to show the commissioners what he thinks would be required to adopt that tax rate.

Revenue Highlights

The budget shows that 51 percent of the county's revenues come from ad valorem (property) taxes. Other income amounts include grants and reimbursements ($2,707,475) making up 18.6 percent of revenues, sales and other taxes ($2,628,478) making up 18.1 percent of revenues, service fees ($1,356,345), making up 9.3 percent of revenues, miscellaneous revenues ($358,727) making up 2.5 percent of revenues and fund balance appropriation ($75,956), making up .5 percent of revenues.

Adams said the county's tax base is projected to be $1,754,627,750. "Due to revaluation, this is an overall increase of $695,488,750 or 65.67 percent over the fiscal year ‘06-'07 estimated base of $1,059,139,000.

Adams said a collection rate of 96 percent was used for budget calculations.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back