DARLINGTON - The Lafayette County Board planned its 2010 budget under the assumption a referendum Thursday to fund the Lafayette Manor will pass.
Lafayette County residents will head to the polls to decide if they want to allow the board to exceed the property tax levy rate by $500,000 over the next three years to help pay for the county's nursing home, which is expected to operate at a deficit of about $158,000 this year.
Board member Dwayne Larson said the county included the money from the referendum as it prepared its budget. He said the board probably should have prepared a budget in the event the referendum doesn't pass, but has not.
If voters defeat the referendum Thursday, Larson said the board will have to determine how to cut $500,000 from its budget.
The Lafayette County Finance Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday in the courthouse's county board room to discuss the 2010 budget. If the referendum fails, it could be a long meeting as the committee looks at areas to cut, Larson said.
He isn't sure what course of action the board will take if the referendum is unsuccessful, Larson said. The board could leave it up to individual departments to decide where to make cuts in their budgets, he said.
"One of the things the board could do is tell the department heads 'This is (the amount) you have to cut and you decide how to do it,'" he said.
He said some county department heads already have thought about ways to cut their budgets. Cuts most likely would mean a reduction in personnel, he added.
Larson said he wasn't sure when the county's budget must be finalized.
The next county board meeting is Nov. 19. Larson said the board would probably need to have a public hearing and then a vote for the budget at that meeting.
If the referendum passes, the county's levy will increase from about $6.2 million to about $6.7 million. It would increase the 2010 tax rate from $6.67 per $1,000 of property value to $7.03. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 will pay $703 in county taxes as opposed to $667. The owner of a farm valued at $400,000 will pay $2,812 in county taxes as opposed to $2,668.
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.
Lafayette County residents will head to the polls to decide if they want to allow the board to exceed the property tax levy rate by $500,000 over the next three years to help pay for the county's nursing home, which is expected to operate at a deficit of about $158,000 this year.
Board member Dwayne Larson said the county included the money from the referendum as it prepared its budget. He said the board probably should have prepared a budget in the event the referendum doesn't pass, but has not.
If voters defeat the referendum Thursday, Larson said the board will have to determine how to cut $500,000 from its budget.
The Lafayette County Finance Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday in the courthouse's county board room to discuss the 2010 budget. If the referendum fails, it could be a long meeting as the committee looks at areas to cut, Larson said.
He isn't sure what course of action the board will take if the referendum is unsuccessful, Larson said. The board could leave it up to individual departments to decide where to make cuts in their budgets, he said.
"One of the things the board could do is tell the department heads 'This is (the amount) you have to cut and you decide how to do it,'" he said.
He said some county department heads already have thought about ways to cut their budgets. Cuts most likely would mean a reduction in personnel, he added.
Larson said he wasn't sure when the county's budget must be finalized.
The next county board meeting is Nov. 19. Larson said the board would probably need to have a public hearing and then a vote for the budget at that meeting.
If the referendum passes, the county's levy will increase from about $6.2 million to about $6.7 million. It would increase the 2010 tax rate from $6.67 per $1,000 of property value to $7.03. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 will pay $703 in county taxes as opposed to $667. The owner of a farm valued at $400,000 will pay $2,812 in county taxes as opposed to $2,668.
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.