Cape Girardeau County passes $11.8 million budget

Cape Girardeau County will work with an $11.8 million budget this year after 2013 saw flat sales tax revenue, commissioners decided Thursday.

The commission approved budget requests totaling $11,803,446 during its regular meeting. The county expects to end the year with an unencumbered balance of $464,082, which is the highest amount in several years after falling to $154,000 in 2012.

Before the recession, the county had an unencumbered balance above $1 million each year.

Reduced state reimbursements for some services the county provides were a factor in the reduction of the balance, but the county in 2012 enacted a property tax levy previously set at zero to help offset that loss.

This year's budget will include a 2 percent pay raise for county employees, who did not receive a raise in 2013.

Changes in other spending include:

* $44,000 more for technology;

* $22,000 more for repairs;

* $17,000 less for Common Pleas Courthouse maintenance;

* $19,000 less for the circuit clerk's office;

* $72,000 less for the sheriff's department.

The county will spend more on elections -- around $125,000 more -- and expects to spend $80,000 more on additional staff for the state's child support services office but will be reimbursed by the state.

The $11.8 million appropriated for the general revenue budget 2014 is slightly higher than in 2013, when commissioners appropriated $11,545,883. County Auditor Pete Frazier said this week the county spent 93 percent of the total appropriated in 2013, which is in line from previous years.

Spending in 2014 is expected to reach 95 percent of the amount appropriated.

Operating costs for the county, according to Frazier's budget message presented to the commission, "have been increasing and our sources of revenue remain limited, but steady."

In 2012, the county received $6,630,258 in sales tax revenue. The sales-tax revenue total for the county for 2013 was $6,728,472. In 2014, sales-tax revenue totals are estimated at $6,912,800. The county receives the remainder of the revenue it needs, normally about $4 million each year, from various fees and reimbursements.

In the message, Frazier said the 2014 budget "reflects a cooperative approach among all county offices in an effort to reduce spending to a point that still satisfies required operating costs."

Use tax hearing

Commissioners also approved rescheduling a public hearing on the county placing a 1 percent use tax on the April ballot for 9:30 a.m. Jan. 16 at the county administration building in Jackson. The hearing was originally set for Jan. 13. The date was moved because the county needed more time to place public notification of the meeting in area newspapers to comply with state law.

A use tax, which can be levied on certain purchases made out of state by Missouri residents, is under consideration to put before voters by several local governments. The commission must vote to place a use-tax question on the ballot before the Jan. 28 certification deadline for the April 8 municipal ballot.

eragan@semissourian.com

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