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Fate of $124K levy increase will be determined Nov. 12
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LAFAYETTE COUNTY - The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors is waiting for a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to determine the fate of its 2014 budget with a proposed levy increase of $124,400, or about 1.9 percent, compared to 2013.

The board wants to levy $6.85 million in property taxes for 2014. The 2013 budget levy amount was $6.72 million.

With equalized property values in the county also down by $10.7 million, or about 1 percent, in 2012, the resulting tax rate for 2014 will be $6.97 per $1,000 of property value, a 2.96 percent increase compared to 2013. The 2013 tax rate was $6.77 per $1,000 of property value.

The new tax rate will require the owner of a $100,000 house to pay about $697 for 2014 county property taxes, or $20 more than in 2013. The owner of a $200,000 house will pay $1,395 in taxes, or $41 more.

The county's proposed budget shows expenditures totaling $35.6 million, reflecting an increase of 1.62 percent, or $566,600 more than the 2013 budget.

Expected revenues of $28.8 million are down by $326,000 or 1.1 percent for 2014, compared to $29.1 million in the 2013 budget.

According to a budget report Oct. 15 from Finance Committee Chairman Wayne Wilson, the 2013 budget included no levy support for the Lafayette County Manor, which has a projected loss of about $441,000 for 2013. The committee gave it $263,500 of the taxes levied in 2014.

The 2014 budget also includes a 2-percent wage increase for all employees and $200,000 to cover increased health insurance benefit costs.

The committee proposed borrowing $250,000 to fund the purchases of fixed assets for the highway and the sheriff's departments.

The county is also using about $500,000 in carryover from the 2013 budget from the Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County, $310,000, and from sales tax, $200,000.

Unclassified revenues to offset expenditures include $1.68 million from state-shared taxes; $740,000 from sales tax; and $40,000 in earned interest.

Notable proposed increases in 2014 individual funds include $267,600 (5 percent) in Transportation; $193,400 (6.6 percent) in Public Safety; $51,500 (14 percent) in Conservation; $45,300 (0.2 percent) in Health and Social Services; and $38,700 (2.2 percent) in General Government.

Areas of the budget that took a hit are Community Development ($21,300; -14 percent); Judicial ($6,900; -1.3 percent); and the County Board ($2,700; -3.2 percent).