2020 will be a tight budget year for County
Phillips County will be collecting $137,305 more in 2019 property taxes than it did in 2018, so why is the County’s 2020 budget so tight?
Total appropriations also went up $400,822 from 2019. At its Dec. 9 meeting, the Phillips County Board of Commissioners adopted the 2020 budget, which totaled $8,333,509 in appropriations.
The budget includes:
General Fund — $1,677,540
Public Safety — $950,261
Judicial — $98,789
Culture-Recreation — $325,052
Public Works — $135,936
Environment — $560,690
Health and Welfare — $120,111
Road and Bridge — $2,175,333
Public Welfare — $1,688,191
Contingency — $171,931
Ambulance Replacement — $16,200
Capital Expenditure — $240,744
Unemployment fund — $52,000
Economic Development — $60,631
Pavilion/Education Center — $60,100
Total Approp. — $8,333,509
Phillips County Administrator Pam Jensen pointed toward several areas of increased expenditures that contributed to the tight 2020 budget.
Employee health insurance costs are up approximately 10%, property insurance is up 19%, and nonelected employee wages are up 2% plus $50 per month to assist in increased health care costs.
New and updated computer hardware, software and monthly contract increased 33%.
Due to the necessary removal of processed wood that has accumulated over the years and the hiring of a consultant, landfill expenses are up 17%. In the communication center, consolette equipment and transitioning to Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet) meant an increase of 19%.
2020 will also see three general elections, a major seal coating project and the start of a three-year plan to replace courthouse square sidewalk concrete. A road grader and an injection sprayer will also be purchased.
Mill levy certified
In addition to adopting the budget Dec. 9, commissioners certified a levy of 28.28 mills, including 21.45 mills for general operating expenses, 4.23 for road and bridge, 1.6 for public welfare and 1 for capital expenditures.
The county’s 2019 assessed value, as reported by the County assessor, is $97,831,530 — up almost $5 million from 2018.
The assessed value for new construction within Phillips County this year is just $546,400. Much of the growth in the total assessed value came from an increase of $2,126,570 for residential property as well as $412,440 for commercial property, $2,259,960 for agricultural property, and $726,300 for state assessed property. The assessed value for oil and gas property, on the other hand, decreased $732,110 from 2018 to 2019.
Given the total valuation, property tax revenue going toward the County’s general operating purposes is $2,098,486, road and bridge $413,827, public welfare $156,530, and capital expenditure $97,832. Total county tax dollars collected will be $2,766,675 — up $137,305 from 2018.