County manager releases proposed '08-'09 budget

A proposed 2008-2009 Alleghany County budget that includes no tax increase was released at a meeting June 2 by County Manager Don Adams. The total proposed budget was $14,799,490, up about 5 percent from last year's approved total of $14,724,253.

However, the proposal is 7 percent lower than the current running total of this year's budget, which is $14,903,330.

In his budget message to the commissioners, Adams pointed out that the budget was being recommended "based on the county commissioner's direction to me to produce a budget at the existing tax rate of 43 cents (per $100 in property valuation)."

The budget includes a 2 percent raise for employees.

The budget proposal shows that the county will be using $262,147 of its fund balance to balance the budget. The budget also lists estimated revenues coming from several other sources, including property tax at 50.9 percent ($7,537,000), which is the county's biggest source of income.

The county's tax base is projected to be $1,761,524,844 and the county's collection rate is 95.9 percent. The state average is about 97.6 percent.

The budget includes a landfill fee increase for households from $52.50 to $60, identical to a proposed tonnage fee increase.

Other income amounts include grants and reimbursements ($2,803,857 or 18.9 percent); sales and other tax ($2,411,881 or 16.3 percent); service fees ($1,191,236 or 8 percent); and other sources listed at $593,369.

As for the sales taxes, Adams said he anticipates beer and wine taxes and occupancy tax to remain level, while ABC liquor tax income (up $8,000) and cable franchise taxes (up $13,600) have increased by 28.6 percent and 130 percent, respectively.

Adams listed an anticipated drop of $13,032 in Article 44 sales tax, which is determined half by sales in the county and half by statewide distribution by population.

 

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