Officials: County to avoid tax hikes

April 08--Daviess County will not raise taxes to cover the fiscal year 2017-18 budget, officials say.

That budget, currently in a draft form, has not yet been made public, but Judge-Executive Al Mattingly confirmed Friday that the approximately $64 million spending plan will not require Fiscal Court to adjust tax rates. Instead, a 2 percent cost-of-living increase for county employees and additional equipment expenditures will be covered by an upward trend in real property value, he said.

"We have a draft budget that addresses the needs of our community, infrastructure and roads," he said. "But it does not require a property tax increase. That's due to excellent supervision on the part of county commissioners and staff."

Taxable real estate value in Daviess County grew by almost $240 million last year, and Mattingly said he expects a similar 2.5 percent jump again this year. That pads a proposed $24 million general fund and aids the county in reducing debt.

The county levies 13.5-cent real property and 17.9-cent tangible personal property taxes per $100. That's down a tenth of a cent from fiscal year 2015-16. The county has not increased those rates in almost a decade. At that rate, an additional 8 percent insurance premium tax could be cut in half by 2021, once Daviess County's $20 million downtown Owensboro revitalization investment has been satisfied.

Already, the county has reduced its debt by about $32 million over six years.

The completion of a draft budget signals the end of a monthslong review process that involves departmental heads and individual commissioners charged with oversight. Commissioners scrutinize their departments' spending proposals alongside staff before staging conferences with Mattingly for review. From there, those spending requests become budget line items that undergo public work sessions and, finally, Fiscal Court approval.

It's an arduous process, Mattingly said, but it ensures fiscally effective delivery of public services and the ability to recruit able-bodied civil servants.

"Let's face it," he said. "Daviess County Fiscal Court is in the service business. That means we have to have people that provide good services, and we need to make sure we take care of them. But we also have to be good stewards of taxpayer money."

Additional expenditures next fiscal year will likely include a firetruck for the Whitesville Volunteer Fire Department, construction of the new Airport-Sorgho Fire Department, completion of a proposed spray park at Horse Creek Park and the purchase of a long-reach road ditcher.

Commissioner George Wathen said he was pleased with the results of the county's draft budget. County officials undergo a unique processes, he said, but the results are plainly in the public's interest. He credited staff with administering the budget successfully year after year.

"Everyone does a great job holding the numbers down every year," he said. "There are quite a few filters that this thing goes through, but it makes us more efficient and it ensures that there are never any arbitrary line items in a county budget."

Commissioner Mike Koger said, too, thanked other county officials for their dedication to fiscal conservatism. It's teamwork, he said, and cooperation among departments and leaders that makes a successful budget. And finally, Commissioner Charlie Castlen said he was happy with early budget results. He thanked staff for their patience and understanding in realizing that not all budget "wishes" can become realities every year.

Fiscal Court will host a pair of budget work sessions later this month, where the draft will be made available for review and commissioners will hear public comments. The first session is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. April 25. The second starts at 8:30 a.m. April 26. Both budget sessions will be held in the court chambers at the Daviess County Courthouse, 212 St. Ann St.

Both meetings are open to the public.

Austin Ramsey, 270-691-7302, aramsey@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @austinrramsey

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