MONROE - With little discussion, the Green County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the 2009 budget Wednesday.
Finance and Accounting Committee Chairman Harvey Mandel said the 2009 budget is "a good budget." However, he cautioned the board that the 2010 budget will be tough for the county due to less money received from the state for Pleasant View Nursing Home.
The county can't wait until September, the normal time to begin to prepare its budget, in 2009, he told the board.
"We need to start looking at it right away," he said.
Mandel said there will have to be cuts in other departments to help cover the cost of the nursing home. The county might have to consider an advisory or binding referendum to exceed the spending limits of 2 percent to help cover costs for the nursing home, he said.
"This is serious business. We're not the only county faced with this," he told the board.
The 2009 budget calls for an increase of 27 cents in the tax rate for 2009 compared to the 2008 tax rate. The 2009 rate is $4.93, compared to $4.66 in 2008. The new rate means that a person with a house valued at $150,000 will pay $739.50 in county property taxes in 2009 compared to $699 in 2008. The owner of a farm valued at $250,000 will pay $1,232.50 in 2009 compared to $1,165 in 2008.
The county increased its budget from about $11.86 million in 2008 to $12.92 million in 2009, which was an actual increase of about 8.95 percent.
However, the county was able to exempt some items from the annual budget in order to reach the state-mandated limit of a 2 percent increase. The county can exempt debt service payments, bridge and culvert repairs and library payments. Minus the exempted items, the county's budget increased by about 2 percent.
Finance and Accounting Committee Chairman Harvey Mandel said the 2009 budget is "a good budget." However, he cautioned the board that the 2010 budget will be tough for the county due to less money received from the state for Pleasant View Nursing Home.
The county can't wait until September, the normal time to begin to prepare its budget, in 2009, he told the board.
"We need to start looking at it right away," he said.
Mandel said there will have to be cuts in other departments to help cover the cost of the nursing home. The county might have to consider an advisory or binding referendum to exceed the spending limits of 2 percent to help cover costs for the nursing home, he said.
"This is serious business. We're not the only county faced with this," he told the board.
The 2009 budget calls for an increase of 27 cents in the tax rate for 2009 compared to the 2008 tax rate. The 2009 rate is $4.93, compared to $4.66 in 2008. The new rate means that a person with a house valued at $150,000 will pay $739.50 in county property taxes in 2009 compared to $699 in 2008. The owner of a farm valued at $250,000 will pay $1,232.50 in 2009 compared to $1,165 in 2008.
The county increased its budget from about $11.86 million in 2008 to $12.92 million in 2009, which was an actual increase of about 8.95 percent.
However, the county was able to exempt some items from the annual budget in order to reach the state-mandated limit of a 2 percent increase. The county can exempt debt service payments, bridge and culvert repairs and library payments. Minus the exempted items, the county's budget increased by about 2 percent.