Local entities fear loss of backfill funds

Between cities, the county itself, school districts and other public agencies, Grundy County received over $316,000 in backfilled funds from the state during fiscal year 2018 as a result of the commercial property tax rollback enacted in 2013. Within a few years, however, those dollars could be gone for good, and it’s cause for major concern.
           
“It would be better for the state to have a wean down plan to kind of roll it back rather than to just cut it cold turkey. It would really help communities with their budgets,” Dike Mayor Mike Soppe said. “I don’t agree with it, but if they’re going to do it, they should at least do it right.”
           
The county itself was the largest single recipient of backfill revenues during the current fiscal year at $58,532.55, followed by the AGWSR school district ($53,573.63), BCLUW school district ($39,488.13), the Grundy Center school district ($36,810.90) and the city of Grundy Center ($33,799.70). The money goes into the general fund for these entities and can be used to finance a variety of projects along with typical everyday expenses. 
 
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