Commissioners Approve County Budget For FY 2010-2011



How much money Cannon County government will take from its taxpaying citizens for the Fiscal Year 2010-2011, and what it will be spent on, was determined Saturday by the Cannon County Commission.

By a 7-3 vote, commissioners approved appropriations for FY2010-2011. By a 10-0 vote, they set the tax rate to pay for the spending.

For the third straight year, there is no increase in the property tax rate, and it remains at $2.32 on each $100 of taxable property.

Of that amount, approximately $2.5 million will go to the County General Fund, $1.8 million to schools, $80,000 to the General Debt Service Fund and $300,000 to the Solid Waste/Sanitation Fund.

Additional money for the General Fund comes from a variety of other taxes, licenses and fees. Total revenue for the General Fund for the year is expected to be $5,210,160. Expenditures are projected to be $5,547,211.

That means in order to balance the budget $337,051 will have to be taken from the county's General Fund reserve. Due to a struggling economy, the reserve has decreased from $1,344,146 in 2008-2009 to an estimated $522,682 at the end of FY 2010-2011.

The largest portion of funding for county schools comes from the state's Basic Education Program. Schools also receive nearly $500,000 from the Local Option Sales Tax. Total revenue for schools is expected to be $14,266,280, versus projected expenditures of $15,016,020, meaning the system will dip into its raining day or reserve balance to the tune of $749,160.

Of the overall budget, County Executive Mike Gannon said Cannon was doing much better than surrounding counties, which have had to raise taxes, lay off workers and cut services.

As it stands, state, beer and wheel tax revenues are are down from past years, as are property tax collections.

"We struggled with some things," Budget Committee Chairman Mark Barker said. "We decided to put off raises (for county employees) because of the amount we were dipping into the rainy day fund."

Barker said it was vital to keep an absolute minimum of $300,000 in the reserve fund, which is the approximate amount it would take to operate county government for three months.

In other business Saturday the commission:

• Approved a resolution permitting the school system to apply for a USDA Rural Development grant not to exceed $100,000. The funds will go toward the building of a Livestock Learning Center at Cannon County High School.

• Heard a report by Dale Peterson on the Cannon Communities' Fireworks Celebration held July 2. The county, along with the Town of Woodbury and City of Auburntown, contributed money to fund the celebration. Peterson had promised to return any unspent money to the municipalities. However, the commissioners voted to let Peterson keep the money to help pay for the event next year.

• Recognized Harold Patrick, former Clerk and Master, and Andy Bryson, former Grand Jury Foreman, for their years of service in those capacities.

• Adopted a resolution updating the county's flood damage prevention plan.

(Check back to CannonCourier.com for updates on this story as they develop)