- Details
- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
The Clinton County Board approved the fiscal year 2026 budget and levies during its monthly meeting on Monday, Nov. 24.
"The budget is a culmination of the hard work that we do all year," Clinton County Board chairman Brad Knolhoff said. "The budget is easy because of the hard work that all of the board members do. We consistently tackle the tough subjects before they become problems. While most counties are struggling, we have become a county that a lot of them will contact."
The budget and levy marks the fifth consecutive year the county is lowering the property tax levy on the residents of Clinton County. Last year the tax rate was .514. This year the estimated tax rate will be around .478. Last year they levied $5.3 million in their general funds and this year they are levying $5,275,000. That doesn't mean everyone will see their tax bill go down because the county is not the only entity in which they pay taxes.
"The amount that they pay collectively into Clinton County will be less than the year before," Knolhoff said.
For the first time that Knolhoff can historically see, the tax rate will be below 50 cents compared to seven or eight years ago when the tax rate was over $1.
"That is also taking into account the rising home values," Knolhoff said. "While the home values are rising, we are asking for less money."
This year's budget is dissimilar to previous years. Knolhoff said most years they strive to pass a balanced budget. This year they will be operating at $350,000 over budget, but Knolhoff said that is not a problem for them this year. They have a beginning fund balance of $9.4 million, so that would leave them with an estimated $9,050,000.
Knolhoff said a big reason they are deficit spending this year is they are making a $1 million transfer to the building fund for future building projects.
"I anticipate even with this budget, even though we are showing a deficit, I don't anticipate we will deficit spend this year," Knolhoff said. "We have historically been very conservative on our revenue estimates. This budget is very conservative in the revenue estimates."
