County OKs $22 million budget

Ford County taxpayers will see a 1.9-mill increase in their property tax bills this year.
    On Monday, the Ford County Commission unanimously approved a budget of approximately $22.08 million for fiscal year 2009. For purposes of comparison, the budget for fiscal year 2008 was approximately $18.99 million.
    The budget for fiscal year 2009 requires a levy of about 40.95 mills, up from 39.04 mills in FY 2008.
    A homeowner whose home is valued at $100,000 would pay an additional $23 per year in county-assessed property taxes.
    County Administrator Ed Elam said Tuesday that a number of factors — rising fuel costs, increases in employee benefits and higher costs for the sheriff's office and jail — helped account for the mill levy increase.
    Elam said the county froze its vehicle replacement program to help hold the mill levy down, and the department heads also trimmed their individual budgets.
    In other business, the commission approved a $647,690 budget for the Ford County Rural Fire District for 2009, up from $486,220 the previous year. The mill levy will remain unchanged at 4.584 mills.
    Elam said the rural fire district carried cash left over from the previous year into 2009, which made it possible to hold the mill levy down.
   
Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917 or e-mail him at eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.