Sun staff
County officials held a public hearing for the 2017 tax budget on June 22.
Sukie Scheetz, director of the Clermont County Office of Management and Budget, presented the budget to the county commissioners, which was made available to the public on June 17.
Residents were invited to submit comments on the budget by June 29, which is the same date the commissioners are expected to take action. The commissioners are required to adopt the budget on or before July 15.
“It shows the amount of money coming in and the expenses going out,” she added.
The budget justifies the need and the expense of the individual tax levies and the millage, according to Scheetz. It includes 136 funds and 115 projects that are projected to have activity in 2017.
The budget shows an estimate of $225.3 million in total revenues for all budgeted funds, which includes permissive sales taxes and property taxes.
“We’re on a decent track going into 2017,” Scheetz said. “Our sales tax revenue has really helped. We’ve seen a $4 million growth in our general fund since 2014, which is attributed to sales tax.”
She added, “We’re thankful it’s not as bad as it was in 2009; we’re seeing growth now.”
The extra revenue has allowed the county to increase its appropriations.
“We are becoming more and more dependent on sales tax,” Sheetz said, noting that it can be a volatile fund.
Any taxing authority is required to do a tax budget, according to Sheetz. After the commissioners approve the budget, it will go to the county budget commission for certification of the rates.
Then, the certified budget will “go into limbo” until September, when county officials will begin the task of developing the 2017 appropriations budget.
The departments’ preliminary requests for spending are included in the tax budget, but Sheetz noted that there would be work ahead to balance the anticipated revenues and expenditures.
The budget shows an estimate of $236.8 million in total expenses for all budgeted funds, which includes capital expenditures and personal costs.
“We’ll work to reel them back in while at the same time trying to provide them with what they need,” she said.