County budget approved
Marion County commissioners Monday morning approved a 2004 county budget for publication. It is being published in this edition of the Marion County Record, and in the Hillsboro Star-Journal and Peabody Gazette-Bulletin.
A public hearing on the budget will be held at 9 a.m. Aug. 18 in commissioners' chambers at the courthouse. After that, the budget will be adopted.
Scot Loyd, accountant for the commission, said that after publication the budget can be decreased, but cannot be increased without being republished. A second public hearing also would have to be held if the budget were increased after initial publication.
The county tax levy for 2004 will be kept at 50.901. The levy will raise $33,431 more for 2004 because of increased valuation of property in the county.
Total taxes collected for the county for 2004 are estimated at $4,646,771. Total county expenditures in 2004 are estimated at $11,930,672.
Capital improvement fund expenditures are estimated at $1,186,238 for 2003, $1,158,750 for 2004, and $555,000 for 2005.
A bond issue payoff for the road and bridge department is set for October this year, at $1,112,238.
Fog seal on 48 miles of county roads is estimated to cost $24,000.
The bond and interest total will be $419,832. The tax against it will be 2.871 mills, raising $262,114.
The county fair gets $10,000 from sales tax, and Marion County Economic Development gets $8,000 per year. Eighty percent of the county's revenue from sales tax goes to roads and bridges.
In 2004 the special fair building fund will get $7,685. The extension council will receive $93,300. Soil conservation will get $28,790. The community college tuition fund will get $48,138, up $3,138 from 2003.
Mental health will get $55,000, and mentally handicapped $54,500.
Commissioners held an 18-minute executive session to discuss personnel and county security, and a second closed session of 10 minutes' duration to discuss a lawyer/client matter.
After the first one, commission chairman Howard Collett said any security reports will be available to county department heads on request. No action was taken and no announcement made after the second closed session.
Because of the tight budget situation, the county will not help to fund fireworks this Labor Day at the Florence celebration.
David Brazil, director of planning/zoning, sanitation, and the transfer station, said the county did not receive a grant for recycling, partly because a case involving the old, former landfill near Aulne is not yet settled.
Commissioners gave Brazil an unofficial OK to proceed with looking at an interlocal agreement with the City of Lehigh under which Brazil would work for that city as a nuisance officer, implementing Lehigh's ordinances on nuisances.
Lehigh just asked for his help, but Brazil said he wants the "interlocal" so that the county will "do the enforcement and he or the county will get paid for time expended.
If it were to come to fruition, it would probably not start until 2005, Brazil said. He will look at what other counties and small cities have done in similar situations.
County Attorney Susan Robson would also be reimbursed, if she or her office did anything or spent any time regarding this interlocal agreement.
It could benefit not only Lehigh but other small cities, he said, that don't have enough personnel and therefore cannot enforce their nuisance ordinances.
Commissioner Leroy Wetta said he felt such an agreement and procedure would "Open us up to do this for cities." He felt, too, that "nuisance" was too broad a term.
It would take up too much of Brazil's time, Wetta feared. Lehigh only, no problem. Lehigh and eight other cities, a problem, he felt.
"I'm jealous, protective," he said. "I want to keep your duties and responsibilities to the county. "
Wetta said Brazil was "spread too thin now."
Brazil said if he proceeded with this, for now he would make recommendations only. He agreed with Wetta that the agreement would lead to a lot of paperwork for someone, as well as enforcement and monitoring. "It does take time," Brazil said.
Collett said there is no county nuisance ordinance applying to unincorporated areas.
Brazil said he would be worrying about health and safety nuisances, not aesthetics.
Collett said, "They (Lehigh) are part of the county. Let's look into it further and see what the proposed agreement looks like."
Brazil said, "It's not something that's gonna happen this year. If we don't do it, it won't hurt my feelings.
