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LE MARS — The Plymouth County General Fund budget for fiscal year 2024-25 is expected to increase by more than $1 million over the previous year, primarily due to one-time costs.
That’s the assessment of Plymouth County Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Kass. The proposed 2024-25 General Fund budget is $11,180,850, an increase from the 2023-24 General Fund total of $10,187,359.
Based on the worksheet used at the board meeting on Tuesday, February 6, this is an increase of $993,491, or 10.61 percent.
The assessed value of the Plymouth County incorporated area, which is a source of General Fund funding, increased by 5.69% ($113,692,060) from $1,998,029,545 to $2,111,721,605.
The general fund tax rate is 3.43138 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The county plans to tap into reserves to cover the increase. Cash on hand is $7,320,084, with $10,077,238 expected in taxes and other income. This leaves a balance of $6,216,472.
The new costs include hiring a new sheriff’s deputy and transferring one deputy’s salary and benefits from local funds.
The Rural Fund worksheet showed roughly the same numbers for expenditures and income. Expenses were $5,038,476 and revenues were $5,036,456. This reduces the fund balance from $1,683,553 to $1,681,533.
The local assessed value increased by 6.95 percent from $1,204,195,865 to $1,287,878,298. The tax is $3.83,496 per $1,000 of assessed value, the highest amount allowed by law, down from the previous rate of $3.95 per $1,000.
The general fund covers the costs of most county departments, and all county residents pay taxes to receive that revenue. The Rural Fund comes from taxes levied on people living in unincorporated areas, and the funds are used to pay for services in those areas.
Additionally, the county is purchasing new voting machines.
At the Jan. 24 board meeting, Auditor Stacey Feldman estimated the cost at $100,000 to $120,000. Feldman said Feb. 6 that the machine would cost about $100,000.
She noted that the county’s voting precincts have now been reduced from 13 to 11. After the 2020 census, the redistricting commission reduced that number.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 9. The board normally convenes at 9:30 a.m., but they agreed to meet 30 minutes earlier.
Supervisor Mike Van Otterloo joked that he was worried about being on time, but Feldman said supervisors were up at 5 a.m. anyway.
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