Making Polk County’s budget balance was put back in the hands of the county’s elected officials Tuesday night, June 16.
At the end of a two-hour meeting of the county’s budget committee, members agreed to ask office holders to cut their budgets by not less than two or more than three percent.
The new figures were to be presented to the committee Tuesday, June 22.
When the meeting began, the 2020-’21 budget reflected expenses greater than revenues by $147,611.
Increases in projected beer and alcohol tax revenues, which brought revenues in line with the previous year, reduced that number to $107,611.
If department heads don’t make enough cuts to balance the budget, then the budget committee plans to move forward with whatever is necessary.
The committee heard from Tax Assessor Randy Yates regarding revenue that would be generated by a 15-cent or 25-cent property tax rate increase.
Calling property tax “so unfair,” Commission Chairwoman Debbie Davis again raised the possibility of a wheel tax with various restrictions.
Among these would be a cap on the amount of money any one household would have to pay.
Davis had previously offered the wheel tax idea in a different meeting, as commissioners fought the idea of any property tax increase.