The Douglas County Board has reversed its plan to impose 4 percent, across-the-board spending cuts next year — and as a result, the county’s proposed property tax rate increase will double.
The 2010-11 county budget approved Tuesday calls for a tax rate increase of about 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, according to county budget director Steve Walker.
The preliminary budget plan had called for a 1-cent tax increase, the county’s first since the 2002-03 budget.
Despite the tax rate increase, overall county spending next year will drop to $159.73 million, about $1 million less that the current year’s budget.
The new rate is expected to be about 26.5 cents, up from the current 24.5 cents. The owner of a $100,000 house would pay an extra $20 a year.
The higher rate became necessary after the board, led by board member Clare Duda, voted to add about $1.7 million back into the overall budget from what had been initially proposed. Several department heads and elected officeholders objected last month to a mandate from the board to cut their current budgets by 4 percent or more.
Duda’s plan restored, among other things, about $335,000 for county corrections, $400,000 for the Douglas County Health Center, $270,000 for the Sheriff’s Office, $262,000 for the County Attorney’s Office and $150,000 for the Public Defender’s Office.
The budget funds across-the-board pay raises of about 1 percent, county administrator Kathleen Kelley said.
Board members Chris Rodgers, Pam Tusa and Marc Kraft also voted to approve the budget. Board chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson, Kyle Hutchings and Mike Boyle voted against the budget.
Boyle later changed his vote, saying that by voting for the budget, he now can bring up resolutions to impose additional cuts during the coming year.
Duda said that the 4-percent cuts were unreasonable and that without restored funds, county services would suffer drastically.
“This is still the tightest budget I have ever been a part of,” Duda said afterward.
Sheriff Tim Dunning said afterward that his new budget is about 2 percent below the current level. Dunning plans to close the 17th Street guarded entrance at the Douglas County Courthouse, which will save at least $135,000 in personnel costs. The county will still keep two guarded entrances open at the courthouse, he said.
A hiring freeze on sworn law enforcement personnel remains in effect indefinitely, he said. He is authorized for 133 sworn deputies and currently has 129 deputies, he said.
Health center administrator Jim Tourville said restoring $400,000 to his budget should spare him from eliminating eight or nine full-time jobs from his staff of about 415.
“We have already made substantial cuts to our budget,” Tourville said. “Now we have a budget, and we will live with it.”
Tourville said he has cut 23 positions in the past year, mainly through attrition. Even with the added funding, Tourville said, layoffs or more position reductions are still possible.
Countywide, 50 to 75 jobs might need to be eliminated, officials said.
The board rejected a number of proposals Tuesday aimed at avoiding a tax increase.
Boyle tried to cut $1.8 million by cutting national accreditation programs in corrections, closing the county extension office, reducing the capital improvement budget by $250,000 and reducing the salaries of elected officials, chief deputies and department heads by 2 percent.
“The worldwide economy affects us, and a tax increase is the last thing the people of Nebraska and the people of Douglas County need,” Boyle said. “This is just adding insult to injury.”
Board member Marc Kraft disagreed. He said the county extension office and the health center are valuable assets that need adequate funds to benefit the public.
Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson offered to cut all proposed budgets by another 1.4 percent, on top of the 4 percent cuts previously sought. She also proposed requiring all county employees — including elected officials, management, union and nonunion staff — to take off one week without pay next year.
“I can’t even make a 4-percent budget cut. How can I make 5.5 percent?” Dunning asked afterward. “I think county government has been pretty lean over the years. You reach a saturation point. If we have to cut any more, people lose jobs, and emergency response times suffer. I don’t think public safety is one of those areas you want to go after.”
Borgeson was outraged the board agreed to adopt any tax increase, let alone doubling the original proposal.
“To me, that’s really bad we are even talking about a 2-cent increase,” Borgeson said.
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