Carroll County Auditor, Kourtney Irlbeck, presented the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017 to the Board of Supervisors Monday morning. She provided details on total revenues of $18,184,461, which is an increase over Fiscal Year 2016 revenues by $576,021. Irlbeck said the change comes from tax increases of $62,885, anticipated Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenue from Iowa Corn Processors of $142,909 and the remainder is bridge replacement money from government and road use tax. Total projected expenditures of $18,785,616 decreased by $1,558,819, but creates a shortfall of $601,155, which Irlbeck said will be pulled from county reserves. The urban tax levy is down a little at 3.82983 percent while the rural levy is at 6.86273 percent. Irlbeck explained the impact on taxes.
Virginia Hagemann spoke during the meeting, saying she assumed the board would pass the budget as that is their history, and that it is also their history to have two amendments. However, she wants to see them distributing more of the money taken in.
Board chair, Supervisor Neil Bock, thanked Hagemann for her comments, saying that was the entire purpose of the public hearing. He then addressed some of her concerns.
Hagemann also spoke out about the county tax levy, and how when that is combined with all other local and school taxes assessed, it is creating a negative impact on resident’s pocketbooks. Supervisor Gene Meiners answered to that, saying the supervisors don’t have control over the state, city or school taxes. They only have control over their ability to keep the Carroll County rate low, which is currently the third lowest in the state. Bock explained that no one at that table got everything they wanted in the budget, but what they did get was a budget that was good for Carroll County. The Supervisors approved the budget as presented for Fiscal Year 2017, which begins July 1, 2016. The budget must be filed by March 15.
