County budget hearing on Tuesday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on June 16, 2013 1:50 AM
County residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and ask questions about Wayne County's proposed $161 million budget and its tax rate of 67.5 cents per $100 of value on Tuesday.
A copy of the budget is available online at waynegov.com under the finance/payroll department tab. It also is available for public inspection in the office of Marcia Wilson, clerk to the board, in room 470 on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
The public hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
The proposed budget would reduce the tax rate from the current 70.25 cents per $100 worth of property value to 67.5 cents.
A property owner with a house and lot valued at $100,000 would pay would pay $702.50 in taxes based on the current rate. If the new rate of 67.5 cents is approved, the amount owed would be $675 for a savings of $27.50.
The proposed budget also would increase the landfill tipping fee from $30 per ton to $31.5 to cover expenses associated with a new electronics recycling program and changes in the overall recycling program. There are no other proposed fee increases.
The proposed net budget is $120,127,740 compared to the current net budget of $121,288,782 -- a reduction of $1,161,042. The difference between the gross and net budget totals is the sum of the grants and other funds that pass through the county, but are not generated locally.
The final budget is still subject to change.
Close to $500,000 in possible budget cuts were suggested by commissioners during their nine-hour budget workshop last Tuesday.
Professional services and program supplies were the two favored targets for suggested reductions, but the suggestions also include a possible 15-percent reduction in commissioner pay.
Those initial potential savings could be offset by the addition of $170,000 for a mobile dental clinic and up to $300,000 for mental health services, both of which were cut by County Manager Lee Smith when he originally prepared his 2013-14 budget recommendation.
Commissioners are scheduled to meet again Monday morning at 8 to look for other possible reductions. That meeting is open to the public and will be held in the commissioners' meeting room.