Budget Committee Takes 4 Cents From Schools

KEITH READY, Courier Contributor


Although there weren't any final budget recommendations made during Thursday night’s Cannon County Budget Committee meeting, there was a decision rendered when it came to the funding of schools.

The Budget Committee voted 4-1 to move 4 cents from the Cannon County School's portion of the property tax and place it into the County General Fund.

During the fiscal year 2011-2012, the school's portion of the total $2.44 property tax was 90.5 cents. During this fiscal year, 2012-2013, the portion will now be 86.5 cents.

It had been estimated at the end of the fiscal year the school’s ending fund balance would be $775,384. This action trims the estimated ending fund balance $83,000, which would decrease the total ending fund balance to $692,384. This is still a healthy fund balance for the schools and no changes to the appropriations of its actual budget will need to be made.

The tax share move increases the County General Fund’s estimated ending funding balance as of June 30, 2013 to approximately $140,000.

In another significant move, the Committee decided on contributing $1,500 to the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber had originally requested $10,000 but the question arose about how much the Town of Woodburygave. Because Woodbury only gave $1,500, the Budget Committee felt they just needed to match the amount that Woodbury has contributed.

The Committee then went through the General Fund Budget again looking for savings. They trimmed $2,000 more off of the Election Commission budget to bring the total to $167,571.

They also trimmed $2,000 from the Ambulance Service budget, which will appropriate $886,056 to the department.

The Committee also looked at the first-time added item of the Medical Examiner, which was budgeted for $16,919. 

The next meeting of the Cannon County Budget Committee will be July 24 at 7 p.m. at which the Budget Committee hopes to put the final figures together to make a recommendation to the full commission in time for its August 14 meeting.