Supervisors approve FY19 budget

After a brief public hearing on Monday morning, the Grundy County Board of Supervisors approved the fiscal year 2019 budget as presented by a unanimous vote.
           
Ivester-area resident Laura Hommel asked the board about whether the salary allocation for the sheriff’s position would change after 36-year incumbent Rick Penning retires, and the supervisors responded that the compensation for elected officials was not tied to experience.
           
The final raises and proposed salaries for elected officials are as follows: a $1,435 raise to $58,840.02 for county auditor Rhonda Deters, a $1,537.50 raise to $63,011.06 for county attorney Erika Allen, a $1,435 raise to $58,840.02 for county recorder Travis Case, a $2,025.40 raise to $83,033.20 for Penning or his eventual successor, and a $1,435 raise to $58,840.02 for county treasurer Brenda Noteboom.
           
Overall budget expenditures and transfers out are projected at $18,391,914 for FY19, and revenues and transfers in are projected at $16,331,662. For the third straight fiscal year, the county’s overall fund balance is expected to decrease, and the biggest expenses are in roads and transportation ($5,365,824), public safety and legal services ($2,259,119), capital projects ($2,215,836) and administration ($1,915,415). The largest revenues, on the other hand, come in the form of intergovernmental sources ($7,322,997) and property taxes ($6,242,841). The tax levy was set at $5.36 per $1,000 of valuation in urban areas and $8.35 per $1,000 of valuation in rural areas. 
 
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