Strict budget timeline proposed with new property tax law

     County Auditor Whitney Hein outlined her proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget calendar with the Jones County Supervisors during their Jan. 2 board meeting.

   Monday, Jan. 8, was the due date for county department heads to get their budgets to Hein.

   "My goal is to get those turned around to you (the supervisors) for your board meeting on the 16^th," she said.

   She offered that she has yet to schedule the non-county entity funding-request presentations, possibly looking at the Jan. 9, 16, or 30 board meetings.

   "I do have a couple of people waiting to hear back on a (presentation) date," Hein said.

   She asked the board for their thoughts on holding budget work sessions on Wednesdays in January and February, proposing department presentations on those days rather than extending the regular Tuesday board meetings.

   "That would leave February for discussion and further decision-making," suggested Hein. "I want to allow plenty of time for that with all of these changes and restrictions were under (per the new state property tax law)."

   The board was in favor of starting their Wednesday work sessions at 10:30 a.m., allowing for several hours of budget discussions.

   Tuesday, March 5, is the date Hein proposed for the board to schedule a public hearing and set the county's tax rate levies (maximum tax levy). Traditionally, the county publishes a notice in the county papers announcing the hearing date. Again, with the new tax law, all counties must prepare and mail out a letter to all county property owners, in addition to the published notice. Hein estimates this could cost the county an additional $10,000. The hearing on the max levy would take place Monday, April 1.

   The mailing will look very similar to a tax statement, but will just contain the taxes associated with the county, schools, and cities.

   "We'll have the hearing on April 1 because the hearing cannot take place during a (regular) board meeting that has any other business on it," explained Hein. "It has to be a board meeting by itself."

   In order to accomplish this aggressive timeline, Hein said she's hoping all of the cities and school districts have their budgets to her by March 5.

   "March 15 is the statutory requirement to have that mailing information to the Department of Management," she added.

   She said diverting from this schedule would not make it possible to meet the March 20 deadline in which to have the property owner letters in the mail.

   "It gives us the appropriate 10- to 20-day notice," said Hein of the public notice.

   April 23 is the proposed county budget public hearing date, with the county's budget due to the Department of Management by April 30.

   "Once we get through February," said Hein, "we are backed into these dates to be able to abide by all of the requirements."

   She said her office is working through some issues because the county's software company and the Department of Management do not know yet what type of file will be sent out to counties in preparing this new budget.