County valuation increases $654,000 years ago
Marion County Clerk Carol Maggard told county commissioners Monday that valuation of all county ad valorem taxable property is up this year $654,172 from a year ago.
This means that a mill of tax levy will raise $654 more than it did last year. The total county valuation is $91,287,761, she said.
Real estate valuation is up $834,000, she said. Severed minerals also are "up." Oil and gas valuations are higher. Personal property is down from $5,150,812 last year to $4,706,475 this year.
David Brazil, director of planning/zoning, sanitation, and the transfer station, presented three possible 2004 budgets, one for each of his departments.
Brazil said this has been an "average" year in the number of planning/zoning applications received. He said $29,000 of $58,000 budgeted for the update of the county's comprehensive plan had been spent this year.
Some trailers at the transfer station may have to be replaced, as well as other equipment items, he said.
County Appraiser Dianna Carter presented a proposed 2004 budget of $218,200 for her department, with no raises.
For this year, she said she can make a 10.2-percent budget cut, or even more. Valuation in Hillsboro increased this year, she said, but not in Marion.
Agricultural land went down a bit in valuation. Rural residential property went up some. Anything appraised at less than $400 in value was exempt from personal property tax, she explained.
County Treasurer Jeannine Bateman said 94 percent of second-half property-tax payments, which were due June 20, have been received.
Michele Abbott-Becker, director of communications and emergency management, said her department had received a check for $3,611, a State and Local Assistance grant for the first half of 2003.
She said the 911 system computers need an upgrade of their memory and software, and the server needs a software upgrade. She has placed this in her 2004 budget. The 911 surcharge fund will pay for this.
She said emergency management grants that might be available to combat terrorism would supplant budget items, not replace them.
Bill Smithhart, director of the departments of noxious weeds and household hazardous waste, was authorized by commissioners to accept a bid totaling $1,870.40 from Ag Services, Hillsboro, for 200 gallons of 2, 4D Amine and 10 gallons of MSMA, herbicides.
Gerald Kelsey, director of roads and bridges, said Foley Cat had estimated damage (replacement cost) to a motor grader damaged in a June 23 accident at $79,375.34.
It is not known whether the insurance carriers will pay the county that much, however. Kelsey said he can get a good, used grader with 2,000 hours on it for $84,500, but the price will go up by about $7,000 on Aug. 1.
A 10-percent budget cut (for 2003) would mean putting no rock (gravel) on 32 miles of county roads, Kelsey said.
He said that the county installs one culvert at no charge on farmers' or other rural residents' driveways. If the property owner wants a second culvert, he or she must pay for it.
Most counties, he said, are charging people even for the first one, and the labor, he said.
