By Warren Strandell – Polk County Commissioner, District 2
This is the time of year when local government bodies are heavily into the task of determining the next year’s budget… a job that doesn’t get done overnight.
Local governments (county boards, city councils and school boards) are required by state law to set a “preliminary” budget levy each September. In Polk County, this action follows discussions with the department heads during which the talk is about what might make things go better. These are things like having additional employees, getting new or replacement equipment, instituting new practices, and maybe the remodeling or expansion of their offices or even the construction of new buildings.
Department heads always want to do things better. There is nothing wrong with that… if they can be justified and the county can afford it.
Commissioner concerns focus on the tax bill, so even when convinced that there will be benefits from having more employees, new equipment and programs, and building improvements any commitment to provide them involves the cost.
County Boards have a responsibility to keep things up… all the buildings, equipment, technology, employee training, and more. Putting things off is not good a good practice because it becomes much more expensive when done later in the catch-up role.
To really cut services or taxes is next to impossible. As an extension of state government, counties are required by state law to provide many things, especially those in the area of social services. It has been said that somewhere between 65 to 70% of what counties do is required by government mandate.
After the required services, if you really want to try to cut the tax bill, the two areas most susceptible would involve the degree of road maintenance and the level of law enforcement that counties provide. Cuts in those areas would be highly unpopular… highly unpopular.
When seeking office, some candidates campaign on a pledge to cut taxes. In reality, that might be possible for a year or two but after that the cost of getting back on track will be very painful. The best practice is to be as efficient as possible while keeping up with the needs and the times.
To let buildings and roads slip into disrepair is big mistake. And to not be competitive with employee positions or salaries is a mistake, too. The County Board tries to provide services as efficiently as possible and it tries to provide the staff and the facilities needed to do just that.
Costs always go up. The county’s average levy increase over the past 10 years has been 2.34%. That’s less than inflation.
The 5.5% “preliminary” levy increase for 2020 — that was number set in September — cannot be increased as this budget process goes forward. It can only be decreased and it will be decreased prior to the time in December when the “final” levy is set.
The county’s budget for 2020 will likely total in the $68 to $69 million range. Of that number, the portion that will be paid for by property taxes will likely end up in the upper $25 million range. Individual tax bills will be cushioned by the addition of $31.6 million in valuation from new “new construction.” With that increase the county’s total amount of valuation is now $5,577,373,300. (For clarification, that’s a five billion dollar number.)
The 2020 budget subject will be on commissioners’ minds for the next couple of months. A key person in the budget reduction effort will be County Administrator Chuck Whiting, who will come up with different options for the board to consider. Wish us well.
Thoughts for the day:
What you don’t know will hurt you. — Grandma’s Dictionary
The problem with political jokes is that they get elected. — Aesop (the Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop’s Fables).
Disclaimer: Thoughts expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily a reflection of the opinions of the other members of the Polk County Board of Commissioners
