Hearings are set this week to approve budgets for both Columbia and Marion County.
The county is seeking an increase of 4.4 mills in its property tax rate, which would bring in an additional $556,914 through taxes on homes, businesses, car tags and other property.
The 4.4-mill increase is broken down roughly as follows:
- $253,142 for capital improvement debt for roads and bridges (2 mills)
- $150,500 for housing prisoners (roughly 1.19 mills)
- $72,644 for general operating costs (roughly 0.57 mills)
- $50,628 to accommodate the county school board request (0.4 mills)
- $30,000 for economic development (roughly 0.24 mills);
The total proposed county budget is just over $22 million. The public is invited to attend a hearing at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Board of Supervisors office and will be allowed to speak.A vote to adopt the budget is then scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m .
At the county board meeting on Aug. 29, County CPA Charlie Prince said if the board did not increase taxes this year, something would definitely have to be done next year because there would be no room for anything extra in the general fund.
One of the woes the county has been facing has been the Marion County Regional Jail has been losing money each year. Multiple meetings have been held through the month of August with Warden Derek Mingo, Prince and the board to come to an agreement on a budget.
Another problem has been roads and bridges. Since the bridge crisis began three years ago where inspectors shut down several bridges due to the dangers of wooden pillars, the county has been trying to recover from the bridge repairs.
The Marion County School District did not request an increase in the amount of money it requested, but due to a decrease in property values the increase of 0.4 mills was needed generate the same amount. Supervisors are required by law to levy a tax rate that will generate the amount the schools request.
The additional $30,000 for economic development would go to the Marion County Development Partnership, putting it close but still not equal to how it was funded two years ago when the board cut $100,000 from its budget.
No increase in property taxes is requested by the city. The millage rate for the city remains the same at 21.57, and for the Columbia School District is also still the same at 67.75 mills.
The hearing on the projected budget for the city will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. The new fiscal years begin on Oct. 1.
