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Cass County Supervisors approve FY 2014 budget & secondary roads budget

News

March 6th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved a slightly more than $16.3-million budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which begins on July 1st, 2013. The action came after a public hearing was held on the matter. It marks an increase of a little more than $254,260 over re-estimated FY 2012-2013 budget, but also results in a decrease in the tax levy due to an increase in assessed valuations. The residential/urban levy for FY 2013-2014 is $5.63 per thousand dollars assessed valuation, or a decrease of about 28-cents over last year, while the levy for the rural areas of the county is $10.17 per thousand…which represents a 23-cent decrease over last year.

The Supervisors also approved a recommendation by the County Compensation Board for a three-percent salary increase for all elected officials, including the Sheriff, Auditor, Recorder, Treasurer and members of the Board of Supervisors. The Board chair will receive an additional $1,000 compensation. The Board then approved the Secondary Roads Department Expense Budget, which is in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Transportation. Engineer Charles Marker says also submitted for the Board’s approval the five-year road and bridge construction program.

With regard to the Secondary Roads Budget, Marker says they “Held the line on all the costs.” He said also, that a bridge project near Cumberland is for the most part done, with the exception of some work that is weather dependent.  The project being conducted by Murphy Construction is located northwest of Cumberland, one-mile north of the intersection of G-43 and N-48, is essentially complete, with the exception of some work that can only be finished when the weather is warmer. Once it’s done, the road will be open to the public.