A Marion County Board committee spent five hours on Friday reviewing their budget numbers for the fiscal year beginning December first and came away happy with what they saw. While some numbers are still tentative and some salary increases still being negotiated with the laborers union are not included, it appears the county will have a healthy surplus even after $700,000 being set aside for contingencies.
Finance Committee Chair Dr. Creighton Engel says the budget will allow for the county board to move forward next fiscal year on an additional $800,000 in building renovation, including a major overhaul of the main third floor courtroom.
“Feeling better in spite of the situation we are enduring in Illinois right now. But I think we feel pretty good that we should be able to keep revenue’s fairly solid and keep a balanced budget.”
The board was told by Bellweather, the company that prepares the annual budget, that county taxing bodies could raise property taxes as much as five percent this year under tax caps because of the high inflation rate. However, with finances in good shape and residents suffering from the inflation Engel and others at the meeting don’t see that happening.
“Think in a position this year we are not going to be raising taxes. Now in spite of inflation and other things I think with the management with the board has done I think we are in a position right now to hold the line.”
In the past, Marion County units of government covered by property tax caps were limited to an increase of around two percent a year.
The budget as proposed would include the additional deputy for courthouse security and $135,000 for three new squad cars. The full board will also be asked to approve an 8-percent raise for the jail administrator that Sheriff Andy Garden said is badly underpaid for the supervision work he does. The proposal would take the salary to $47,000.
One big unknown is the impact the elimination of cash bond will have on county finances. Circuit Clerk Tiffany Schicker is now estimating a loss of around $250,000 a year.
“We are bracing for what sort of financial impact it will have on the county. We don’t’ really have a good idea of how we are going to make up those funds. I continue to reach out to state agencies to see what is going to happen as far as loss of funds at the county level. And certainly the state is looking at losing funds, but until I’m given a little bit more direction, we are just trying to plan the best we can for the next fiscal year.”
Schicker says a Supreme Court task force is working on a plan to address the financial impact of the loss of bond money.
As it stands down, the county is looking at revenues of $12.6-million for the coming fiscal year. Engel says the county still has $530,000 in Cares money left from the initial COVID-19 relief money that is not included in the regular budget, but America Rescue Plan Act funds have all been spent or committed.
