MONROE - The Green County Board of Supervisors will determine Tuesday how much taxpayers will have to spend in property taxes in 2010.
A public meeting to discuss the 2010 budget and answer questions from the public will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Green County Courthouse. After the public hearing, the board will vote on the budget.
The preliminary budget showed an increase of 47 cents in the property tax rate for 2010 compared to the 2009. The 2010 rate is $5.40 compared to $4.93 in 2009. The new rate means a person with a house valued at $150,000 will pay $810 in county property taxes compared to $739.50. The owner of a farm valued at $400,000 will pay $2,160 in 2010 compared to $1,972 in 2009.
The county's overall budget decreased from $50.68 million in 2009 to $41.44 million in 2010. The decline was due to the cost of the Justice Center construction , which was included in the 2009 budget. Some of the Justice Center construction cost was also included in the 2008 budget.
The county's property tax levy in the 2010 budget is about $14.4 million compared to about $12.9 million in 2009, an increase of about $1.45 million, or about 11.26 percent.
Green County Finance Director Rhonda Hunter said the 11.26 percent increase takes into account the referendum county voters passed in October to allow the county board to exceed the levy limit to pay for operating the Pleasant View Nursing Home.
She said the nursing home accounted for about 5.5 percent of the 11.26 percent increase.
The county's levy also includes debt service payments, about $1.12 million; library payments, about $399,000; and bridge and culvert repairs, about $54,000. All are exempt from the state-imposed 3 percent levy increase limit.
Debt service payments are from capital projects, such as the Justice Center and the county's radio project.
Hunter said counties need to exempt capital projects to continue to function because the 3 percent levy increase limit wouldn't be enough money to pay for improvements. Some counties, she said, use the debt service to purchase highway equipment.
Library payments are collected based on a formula that determines circulation numbers for people who live in a municipality without a library. The county is required by the state to pay money to the South Central Library System for books and other items used by people who live in a township or village without a library.
Also included in the 2010 budget is about $2 million from the sales tax.
Hunter said the county determines the sales tax amount it expects to receive by using amounts from previous years. She said the county keeps information about the sales tax for the past few years to help come up with an estimate of what the tax will be by the end of 2009.
In a letter to the Green County Board, Finance and Accounting Committee Chairman Harvey Mandel said about 53 percent of the county's expenses are a result of personnel costs.
Wages will be frozen in 2010 for county employees, he added.
A public meeting to discuss the 2010 budget and answer questions from the public will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Green County Courthouse. After the public hearing, the board will vote on the budget.
The preliminary budget showed an increase of 47 cents in the property tax rate for 2010 compared to the 2009. The 2010 rate is $5.40 compared to $4.93 in 2009. The new rate means a person with a house valued at $150,000 will pay $810 in county property taxes compared to $739.50. The owner of a farm valued at $400,000 will pay $2,160 in 2010 compared to $1,972 in 2009.
The county's overall budget decreased from $50.68 million in 2009 to $41.44 million in 2010. The decline was due to the cost of the Justice Center construction , which was included in the 2009 budget. Some of the Justice Center construction cost was also included in the 2008 budget.
The county's property tax levy in the 2010 budget is about $14.4 million compared to about $12.9 million in 2009, an increase of about $1.45 million, or about 11.26 percent.
Green County Finance Director Rhonda Hunter said the 11.26 percent increase takes into account the referendum county voters passed in October to allow the county board to exceed the levy limit to pay for operating the Pleasant View Nursing Home.
She said the nursing home accounted for about 5.5 percent of the 11.26 percent increase.
The county's levy also includes debt service payments, about $1.12 million; library payments, about $399,000; and bridge and culvert repairs, about $54,000. All are exempt from the state-imposed 3 percent levy increase limit.
Debt service payments are from capital projects, such as the Justice Center and the county's radio project.
Hunter said counties need to exempt capital projects to continue to function because the 3 percent levy increase limit wouldn't be enough money to pay for improvements. Some counties, she said, use the debt service to purchase highway equipment.
Library payments are collected based on a formula that determines circulation numbers for people who live in a municipality without a library. The county is required by the state to pay money to the South Central Library System for books and other items used by people who live in a township or village without a library.
Also included in the 2010 budget is about $2 million from the sales tax.
Hunter said the county determines the sales tax amount it expects to receive by using amounts from previous years. She said the county keeps information about the sales tax for the past few years to help come up with an estimate of what the tax will be by the end of 2009.
In a letter to the Green County Board, Finance and Accounting Committee Chairman Harvey Mandel said about 53 percent of the county's expenses are a result of personnel costs.
Wages will be frozen in 2010 for county employees, he added.