 Lean
Budget for 2010
Tuesday, January 19,
2010
By LAURA SCHULER, C-T City Editor
 CAPTION:
Livingston County Commissioners and budget officer Kelly Christopher gathered in the Commission Room Tuesday for the first of two public hearings prior to the formal adoption of the 2010 spending plan. The 2010 budget is based on a 3 percent decline in sales tax, includes no raises for county employees and reflects an increase in unfunded state mandates.
Pictured from left: Ken Lauhoff, east district commissioner; Eva Danner, presiding commissioner; Todd
Rodenberg, west district commissioner, and Christopher. C-T
Photo/Paul Sturm
The Livingston County Commissioners have proposed a $5.5 million budget for 2010 based on a projected 3 percent decline in sales tax revenue, no raises for county employees (for the second year running) and an increase in unfunded state mandates.
“I think it’s absolutely safe to say that there’s no fluff in this budget at all,” said Kelly Christopher, county budget officer during this (Tuesday) morning’s public hearing in the county commission room.
The only members of the public attending were local media representatives.
This year’s spending plan is down $700,000 from 2009. Presiding County Commissioner Eva Danner says that in formulating the budget, the commissioners have had to come up with around $140,000 to make up for cuts in state aid.
“We are simply receiving less state funding on various things,” Danner said.
The 2010 Livingston County budget calls for total expenditures of $5,515,141, total revenue of $5,576,462 for an ending cash balance of $61,321.
According to 2010 budget figures, the county's general revenue fund has a
carry-over balance from last year of $247,907. After 2010 revenues, county commissioners are projecting a total of $1,875,914 in the general revenue fund. However, after the projected expenditures in 2010, the commissioners are anticipating a zero balance by the end of the year.
The county commissioners are projecting $927,000 in sales tax revenues in 2010, down almost $29,000 from the sales tax revenues the county received in 2009. In 2008, the county received $997,124 in sales tax funds. The sales taxes generating revenues include a quarter-cent law enforcement sales tax, a half-cent general sales tax, and a local option three-quarters of a cent Use Tax. The county does not receive any property taxes.
While nearly all funds in this year's spending plan are either smaller or equal than last year, the amount of funds earmarked for elections this year are up by $60,000 due to the costs associated with the upcoming
August primary and November general elections.
A glance at the 2010 budget shows a dramatic decrease in the amount earmarked for the Enhanced 911 fund - down $80,791 from 2009. That is because the county purchased new E911 equipment last year and is experiencing a continuing decline in revenue. Revenues for this fund are generated from a surcharge on landline phone bills. Those funds keep decreasing as the number of people relying on cellular phones goes up.
The county's road and bridge fund reflects no new construction projects thie year with a total of $2,020,868 earmarked for that fund.
The county's use tax, which funds the costs associated with co9urthouse upkeep and the heating and cooling of the historic building, is projected to generate $171,000, down from $252,115 in 2009. The law enforcement sales tax fund is projected to have $530,815 in expenditures, down $42,307 from last year.
The hearing marked the first of several planned before the spending plan is formally adopted. The commissioners will formally adopt the budget on January 29. Those interested in examining the proposed budget may do so by going to the county clerk's office. |
