(SIOUX CITY, IA) It's time for Woodbury County to talk dollars and cents. The Board of Supervisors must work out a budget for the next fiscal year which starts July 1st.
But it's faced with quite a hurdle this year, a 2.7 million dollar budget gap, which could potentially mean higher property taxes for you if the gap can't be closed.
It's still too early to tell exactly what the board will put on the chopping block.
It'll meet in the coming weeks to discuss budget cuts in two of the county's main funds, the General Basic Fund which pays for the county attorney, auditor and sheriff and the General Supplemental Fund which covers the district court, juvenile detention and liability insurance.
Every year the Board of Supervisors and the county finance controller work together to come up with a new budget. For the next fiscal year that's roughly 54 million dollars.
And every year the board must fill a budget gap from the previous fiscal year but 2.7 million dollars is a bit more than usual.
"It's going to be a tight year, but every year is. I think were going to get through it fine, as far as tax increases, there may be," says, Larry Clausen, The Woodbury County Board Chairman.
That's because the county is getting 582 thousand dollars less from the city through tax revenue projects like the Southbridge business park development, and the county has to make up the difference.
"The goal of the board is to get expenses down as much as they can, use some other revenues that will come in as we go through the budget cycle, also, using the reserves," says Dennis Butler, the Finance & Operations Controller for Woodbury County.
The reserve is an overflow of money the county keeps on hand in order to operate efficiently until the bulk of its revenue comes in. In other words, a safety net. And Butler says, the county plans on tapping into that first, to help keep taxes down, if the board can't close the gap through budget cuts.
"The last total resort would be an increase in taxes. Hopefully we get to the bottom line, and don't have to look at it," says Butler.
Plus, Clausen says, the board has seasoned members, who've been through this before.
"Will everybody be happy? No. but will we get it done? Yes. And for the Taxpayers benefit, I hope we do it right," says Clausen.
Every year, the county must figure out its budget before the state does, so it's like working blind.
In terms of a timeline: next week, the board will look at county departments, in search of cuts. Come February, it'll hammer out its final decision, then decide how much to take from the cash reserve, and finally, if taxes will need to be raised.
Hleigh@siouxlandnews.com
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