County Adopts Budget; Sets Tax Rate
At its regular meeting Sept. 10, Glasscock County Commissioners adopted a 2007-2008 budget that projects income of $3 million and expenses of $3.2 million. They also set a tax rate of .343165 per $100 valuation, slightly lower than last year’s rate of .362300. The rate is expected to provide a revenue increase of $213,788 over last year, due to increased valuations.
The budget includes a $1,500 annual raise for 27 full-time employees. After the increase, elected officials’ salaries will be: Sheriff/Tax Collector Royce Pruit, $37,100 plus $15,100 as the county’s chief tax appraiser (this salary funded by the county tax appraisal district); County Judge Wilburn Bednar, $26,520 plus a state-paid supplement of $15,000 and $1,200 as the county’s emergency management coordinator; County/District Clerk Rebecca Batla, $32,000; County Treasurer Alan Dierschke, $31,400 plus $6,000 as the Garden City Water System administrator; County Commissioners Jimmy Strube, Michael Hoch, Mark Halfmann and Marck Schafer, $23,100 each; Justice of the Peace Marilee Jost, $19,500 plus $7,800 as the county judge’s secretary, and Constable Mark Frysak, $10,500.
Other county salaries include: Sheriff’s Deputies Ken Zunker and Keith Burnett, $32,300 each, plus Burnett’s $2,500 as jail custodian; Deputy Tax Assessor-Collector Nancy Hillger, $27,200; Deputy Tax Assessor-Collector Tina Flores, $26,300; Deputy County Clerk Susie Hillger, $27,800; Courthouse Custodian Oscar Trevino, $17,640 plus $11,760 as the Garden City Water System manager. County Extension Agent Charlene Belew is paid a county supplement of $16,000; Extension Agent Rebel Royall is paid a supplement of $15,500, and entomologist Warren Multer gets a county supplement of $2,500, which includes a $500 raise. Extension part-time secretary Gina Halfmann is paid $10 per hour. Kenny Batla is paid $6,000 as the emergency services director; the Martin County Sheriff’s Department is paid $6,000 annually to provide Glasscock County’s 911 dispatching. Road crew salaries (9) range from $26,500 to $30,000, and total $354,000. (No benefits are included in the above salaries.)
Beyond salaries, other budgeted items of note are: $225,000 for road equipment, $100,000 for road repairs and supplies, $110,000 for road equipment fuels, $75,000 for road building materials, $300,000 for seal coating and paving, $150,000 for insurance other than employee medical, $50,000 for tax valuation engineers (Hoch said an $8,000 increase in funds allocated for valuation engineers was necessary because they plan to re-appraise all property in the county during the year.), capital improvements, $75,000, community center operating expenses, $29,000, miscellaneous fund, $75,000 and indigent health care, $213,000. (By state law, eight percent of ad valorem taxes is earmarked for indigent health care expenses.)
The Garden City Water System’s new budget is $55,000 with $57,000 in projected expenses.
Decision on Wind Farm Tax Abatement Postponed
Two agenda items (a reinvestment zone and tax abatement) relating to Airtricity’s proposed Panther Creek Wind Farm were tabled due to concerns and confusion regarding proposed contract language. The court decided to ask for advice from the West Texas Wind Energy Consortium before making any decisions in the matter.
Hoch reported that the county tax appraisal district determines each taxing entity’s share of appraisal expenses based on how much tax money the entity is allowed to keep, not how much it collects. Thus, the school district deducts the dollars it sends out of district ($6 million in 2006). In fiscal 2006, GCISD paid 59 percent of the total, the county paid 39 percent, and the groundwater district paid 2 percent. Figures for 2007 are not yet available, he said.
Hoch said the appraisal district will be making some changes, including use of a policy manual, based on recommendations of a recent audit.
In other matters, Consulting Engineer Don Bonifay reported the county’s 2007 paving project could begin as early as Sept. 17 if the weather remained clear; no action was taken on bids for a pickup for Royall, since the matter was not put on the meeting’s agenda.