By BRADEN LAMMERS
Braden.Lammers@newsandtribune.com
CLARK COUNTY — For the first time in three years, Clark County’s tax bills have come in on time.
According to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, Clark County’s 2010 budget order and tax rates were returned to the county Friday. The budget certification came in 160 days sooner than last year, putting the county in a position to have taxes due May 10, the DLGF said in a press release.
For the county council, the more important news than the tax bills coming in is that the certified budget for the year was received on time.
“It’s the budget order that’s been important,” said County Councilwoman Barbara Hollis. “It gives us a definitive number on what we have to work with.”
BUDGET GROWS
The budget initially handed back to the county in late February authorized it to spend only about $5 million, but it has since been updated by the DLGF. A revised budget order has brought the number up to $10.7 million available to the county for 2010.
Having a number which the council will be able to base its appropriations on is important to its members.
“It’ll make it a little easier this year, there’s not doubt about it,” said County Councilman Chuck Moore.
He said that because the council has a number to work with, it will be able to stay within the budget and be assured that the state will not come back late in the year and tell the council it has overspent.
Despite an increase of more than $5.6 million, the county council is still about $3 million short in what it originally submitted to operate on for the year — $13.8 million.
A meeting is planned for Friday to help the county council determine funding for the year, but questions still remain on how it will avoid going into a deficit again.
“We’re going to have to make it work,” Hollis said of the certified budget returned from the state.
Whether or not more layoffs will be a solution to meeting the budget number has not been determined.
The county forced each government office to cut 30 percent of its budget to meet the expected shortfall for the year, which resulted in the county laying off nearly 20 workers. While it is unknown whether or not the county will have to make more cuts, adding workers back is not likely, at least according to one council member.
“I don’t see [the county] hiring any people back,” Hollis said.
However, Moore was much more optimistic.
“I feel confident we won’t have to cut anybody,” he said. “I don’t think we’re in that bad of shape anyway.”
OTHER FUNDS
The county still has its reserve funds, like the rainy-day fund, cumulative capital fund and Economic Development Income Tax money it will be able to use to fund operations. In addition, the county has Local Option Income Tax money expected to come in to help bolster the county’s coffers, and the county is still seeking an excess-levy appeal.
Moore said based on the possibility of gaining the aforementioned revenues the county could have more funds available than the $10.7 million amount it has been authorized to spend.
But again, the important factor for the county is that because the budget order came in on schedule, tax bills will go out on time and funding will be in line with the time frame it is supposed to be on.
HOW IT WORKS
According to Auditor Keith Groth, it is the first time Clark County is set to have May and November tax bills since 2001, which were paid in 2002.
“That has been desperately needed,” he said.
The timing is a result of each step in the process being completed earlier than it was in the previous year.
According to the DLGF, the certification was able to be returned on time because the completion of the property assessment ratio study by Clark County Assessor Vicky Kent-Haire was submitted on Sept. 4 — 67 days earlier than last year.
Once the ratio study was approved, the county assessor sent the gross assessed values to the county auditor, who determined the net assessed values.
Groth submitted certified net assessed values Feb. 5 – 144 days sooner than the previous year. The remaining step includes calculating the bills, which should be mailed out by the county treasurer no later than April 23.
Groth said he expects the abstract — which will be sent to the state auditor for approval — to be ready in about four to five days following the receipt of all of the documents from the state.
It will likely be another two-week period before the approval is sent back from the state auditor’s office, but it is expected that the bills will make it to the county treasurer so they can be sent out before the April 23 date, he said.
Tools are available online for those who wish to estimate their property tax bills. To calculate the property tax amount, taxpayers will need their property’s assessed value, deductions and taxing district and they can use DLGF’s online property tax calculator at: www.in.gov/dlgf/4932.htm.
The estimates provided are projections only and should not be taken as a statement of true tax liability, which is determined by the county, the DLGF said in the press release.
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TAX BILLS
• Tax bills for Clark County residents should be sent by April 23 and will be due May 10. Tools are available online for those who wish to estimate their property tax bills. To calculate the property tax amount, taxpayers will need their property’s assessed value, deductions and taxing district and they can use DLGF’s online property tax calculator at: www.in.gov/dlgf/4932.htm.
SO YOU KNOW
• The certified 2010 budget for Clark County is available online at: www.in.gov/dlgf/files/BudgetOrder_2010_ClarkCounty.pdf
FRIDAY MEETING
• The Clark County Council will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Friday on the fourth floor of the Clark County Government Building, 501 E. Court Ave., to discuss the county’s budget.
