DARLINGTON - The proposed 2015 budget and levy was approved by a 12-3 vote of the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors Monday.
The budget totaling $38.1 million was passed as presented, according to the county's finance director, Nicola Maurer.
Lafayette County property owners will see a tax rate of about $7.03 per $1,000 of property value, which will supply the county budget with $7.11 million in tax levied revenue.
The 2015 levy amount is 3.78 percent higher, or $258,700 more, than $6.85 million levied in 2014.
The total equalized property value for taxing purposes in the county rose from $982 million last year to $1.01 billion this year, about 2.92 percent, or $28.6 million, higher. That helped make the 2015 tax rate just 0.84 percent higher, or 6 cents, than the 2014 rate of $6.97 per $1,000.
The owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $703 in county taxes next year, about $6 more compared to $697 paid this year. The owner of property valued at $150,000 will see an increase of $9 for 2015 county taxes, paying $1,055 compared to $1,046 in 2014.
Where the taxes go
About $2.83 million of the county 2015 property tax revenue will go to the general fund, which is nearly 11 percent, or $277,800, more than the $2.55 million used in 2014.
The anticipated general fund expenditures, totaling $7.77 million, are down slightly - about $14,500, compared to the 2014 budget. But revenues are down more so, about $128,000. State aids and grants will be up by $49,000, to $2.233 million in 2015. Regulation/compliance and public charges are expected to be down next year, by $91,700 combined. And the county isn't borrowing $90,000, as it did in 2014, to support the general fund in 2015. Total revenue, other than county taxes, totals $4.84 million, a 2.57 percent drop compared to $4.97 million in 2014.
The county is using $97,000 in surplus to offset the remaining gap and balance the general fund.
Of the remaining levied tax revenue, the county will use $429,000 for Lafayette Manor; $1.80 million for the highway department, $1.82 million for human services; $113,500 for the commission on aging, and $120,100 for debt service.
The county plans to borrow $500,000 for the highway department.
The ups and downs
The entire 2015 expenditure budget of $38.1 million is 7.31 percent higher than the 2014 budget.
The $2.6 million of additional spending makes its greatest showing in Health and Social Services, which will rise $1.92 million, from a total of $23.1 million in 2014 to $25 million in 2015.
Among those health care accounts, Memorial Hospital expenditures are expected to rise by $1.5 million, from $13 million to $14.6 million, an 11.36 percent jump. Lafayette Manor expenses is expected to be about 6 percent, with a $275,900 increase. Its expenditures rise from $4.64 million to $4.92 million.
Human Services department costs will also rise, by about 5 percent, from $3.41 million to $3.57 million, or about $155,800. Institutional Care was given a 100 percent increase in funds, which totals $100,000. Its anticipated expenditures as budgeted rise from $200,000 in 2014 to $300,000 in 2015. The projected cost for institutional care in 2014 is at $350,000, which is up from the 2013 actual cost of $137,000.
In the same sector, Public Health will take a decrease in funds, losing almost $90,000. Its $994,000 budget for 2015 is 8.3 percent lower than $1.08 million budgeted for 2014 budget, and 2014 projected costs are expected to top out at $1.05 million.
Some of the other accounts getting cut backs are land conservation, by 16 percent or $63,500; County Clerk office, by 15.23 percent or $30,900; Register of Deeds, by 13 percent or $22,500; and the Library fund by 13.44 percent or $20,700. Budget with $17,000, but with only $6,600 projected expenditures for 2014, the corporate counsel budget is not funded in the 2015 budget.
Those cut-back funds are getting spread around to other accounts and departments, with some more than others picking up sizable, additional funding next year.
Under General Government, property picks up 16.8 percent more, or $55,000 for a total of $381,750. Finance offices will get $26,300, or 9.79 percent, more for a total of $295,000. Land records gets $115,500 next year, $20,000 or 21 percent more. Public Safety, mainly the Sheriff's Department and Emergency Management, will receive $26,500 or 0.85 percent more, for a total of $3.14 million for 2015.
Fairs and Exhibits will get $31,700 more, a 16.65 percent raise, for a total of $222,100 next year. UW-Extension offices will get $13,300 more, a 7.65 percent increase, for $186,700 in 2015.
Community Development, which includes economic development, regional planning and planning/zoning, will get a 48.7 percent boost in 2015, or $64,500 more, for a total of $196,900.
The largest account, Transportation Highway, with a $6.14 million expenditure budget next year, is up 10.5 percent compared to 2014. Its 2014 budget was $5.56 million, but projected costs for the year is at $6.28 million. Actual costs for the department in 2013 was $6.53 million and in 2012, $6.35 million.
The budget totaling $38.1 million was passed as presented, according to the county's finance director, Nicola Maurer.
Lafayette County property owners will see a tax rate of about $7.03 per $1,000 of property value, which will supply the county budget with $7.11 million in tax levied revenue.
The 2015 levy amount is 3.78 percent higher, or $258,700 more, than $6.85 million levied in 2014.
The total equalized property value for taxing purposes in the county rose from $982 million last year to $1.01 billion this year, about 2.92 percent, or $28.6 million, higher. That helped make the 2015 tax rate just 0.84 percent higher, or 6 cents, than the 2014 rate of $6.97 per $1,000.
The owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $703 in county taxes next year, about $6 more compared to $697 paid this year. The owner of property valued at $150,000 will see an increase of $9 for 2015 county taxes, paying $1,055 compared to $1,046 in 2014.
Where the taxes go
About $2.83 million of the county 2015 property tax revenue will go to the general fund, which is nearly 11 percent, or $277,800, more than the $2.55 million used in 2014.
The anticipated general fund expenditures, totaling $7.77 million, are down slightly - about $14,500, compared to the 2014 budget. But revenues are down more so, about $128,000. State aids and grants will be up by $49,000, to $2.233 million in 2015. Regulation/compliance and public charges are expected to be down next year, by $91,700 combined. And the county isn't borrowing $90,000, as it did in 2014, to support the general fund in 2015. Total revenue, other than county taxes, totals $4.84 million, a 2.57 percent drop compared to $4.97 million in 2014.
The county is using $97,000 in surplus to offset the remaining gap and balance the general fund.
Of the remaining levied tax revenue, the county will use $429,000 for Lafayette Manor; $1.80 million for the highway department, $1.82 million for human services; $113,500 for the commission on aging, and $120,100 for debt service.
The county plans to borrow $500,000 for the highway department.
The ups and downs
The entire 2015 expenditure budget of $38.1 million is 7.31 percent higher than the 2014 budget.
The $2.6 million of additional spending makes its greatest showing in Health and Social Services, which will rise $1.92 million, from a total of $23.1 million in 2014 to $25 million in 2015.
Among those health care accounts, Memorial Hospital expenditures are expected to rise by $1.5 million, from $13 million to $14.6 million, an 11.36 percent jump. Lafayette Manor expenses is expected to be about 6 percent, with a $275,900 increase. Its expenditures rise from $4.64 million to $4.92 million.
Human Services department costs will also rise, by about 5 percent, from $3.41 million to $3.57 million, or about $155,800. Institutional Care was given a 100 percent increase in funds, which totals $100,000. Its anticipated expenditures as budgeted rise from $200,000 in 2014 to $300,000 in 2015. The projected cost for institutional care in 2014 is at $350,000, which is up from the 2013 actual cost of $137,000.
In the same sector, Public Health will take a decrease in funds, losing almost $90,000. Its $994,000 budget for 2015 is 8.3 percent lower than $1.08 million budgeted for 2014 budget, and 2014 projected costs are expected to top out at $1.05 million.
Some of the other accounts getting cut backs are land conservation, by 16 percent or $63,500; County Clerk office, by 15.23 percent or $30,900; Register of Deeds, by 13 percent or $22,500; and the Library fund by 13.44 percent or $20,700. Budget with $17,000, but with only $6,600 projected expenditures for 2014, the corporate counsel budget is not funded in the 2015 budget.
Those cut-back funds are getting spread around to other accounts and departments, with some more than others picking up sizable, additional funding next year.
Under General Government, property picks up 16.8 percent more, or $55,000 for a total of $381,750. Finance offices will get $26,300, or 9.79 percent, more for a total of $295,000. Land records gets $115,500 next year, $20,000 or 21 percent more. Public Safety, mainly the Sheriff's Department and Emergency Management, will receive $26,500 or 0.85 percent more, for a total of $3.14 million for 2015.
Fairs and Exhibits will get $31,700 more, a 16.65 percent raise, for a total of $222,100 next year. UW-Extension offices will get $13,300 more, a 7.65 percent increase, for $186,700 in 2015.
Community Development, which includes economic development, regional planning and planning/zoning, will get a 48.7 percent boost in 2015, or $64,500 more, for a total of $196,900.
The largest account, Transportation Highway, with a $6.14 million expenditure budget next year, is up 10.5 percent compared to 2014. Its 2014 budget was $5.56 million, but projected costs for the year is at $6.28 million. Actual costs for the department in 2013 was $6.53 million and in 2012, $6.35 million.