For the week of July 30 - August 5, 2003

County drafts plan for $20.5 million budget

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Tentative county budget overview

Blaine County’s initial budget is based on requests from the various county agencies and departments. Though the final budget may not mirror the initial, tentative numbers, county commissioners use the requests as a starting point in crafting a working document. A formal budget presentation and preliminary adoption are expected at the Commission’s August 4 meeting.

Current expense: $11,054,023
Road and Bridge: $2,028,795
Court: $284,645
Fair: $52,400
Health District: $209,461
Historical: $21,750
Indigent: $355,028
Junior College: $123,600
Revaluation: $398,814
Waste: $3,382,220
Weeds: $244,557
Nursing Home: $2,000,375
Emergency 911: $153,764
Liability: $205,600

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Blaine County Commissioners are meeting this summer to ferret out the county’s approximately $20.5 million 2003-2004 fiscal budget, and preliminary adoption is scheduled for the board’s Aug. 4 meeting at the Old County Courthouse in Hailey.

So far, the 2003-2004 preliminary budget is $800,000 smaller than 2002-2003’s $21.3 million financial blueprint.

According to Blaine County Commissioner Sarah Michael, there are three big-ticket items in this year’s proposed budget: $50,000 in anticipated planning expenses for a new county jail, $2.4 million to complete the new courthouse annex building and $153,764 for implementing Emergency 911 services throughout the county.

An $11 million general line item in includes $1.5 million for the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, $1 million for operations of the jail, $1.3 million for ambulance services, $530,000 for the prosecutor’s office and $436,000 for the planning and zoning department.

The preliminary budget indicates $14.5 million in revenues and cash forward balances from the previous fiscal year. The difference between revenues and proposed expenses, approximately $6 million so far, will be levied from Blaine County property owners.

Following the scheduled Aug. 4 adoption of preliminary figures, the total budget can only be reduced, said Blaine County Clerk Marsha Reiman. Final adoption is scheduled for the Board’s Sept. 2 meeting.

 

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