Small Town News

County approves 2010 budget

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A final $8,849,599 budget for 2010 has been unanimously approved by Franklin County Commissioners following a budget hearing last Tuesday.

The budget is up $530,001, or 6.37 percent, compared to the 2009 budget of $8,319,598, said County Clerk Elliott Larsen. Last year's budget increased 2.4 percent compared to the 2008 budget.

The clerk said the biggest single difference in this year's budget, compared to the 2009 spending plan, is in the road department. The road department budget increased $684,000, going from $1,361,000 to $2,046,739. Larsen said the biggest reason for the jump in the road department is an anticipated federal stimulus grant of $500,000 for planned road work.

Larsen said the jail budget increased by $150,900 to cover increasing costs of transporting and housing inmates in other jails in the area. The Franklin County Jail was closed by Sheriff Don Beckstead just over a year ago. The majority of county inmates are now housed in the Caribou County Jail.

He explained the county's mill levy (what taxes are based upon) is at six mills and should stay the same this year because of an increase in taxable values of $20,654,431, or 3.878 percent. Total taxable value increased from $532,586,004 in 2008 to $553,240,435 in 2009.

The 2009 budget, which expires on Sept. 30, is $8.39 million. The 2007 budget was $8.1 million.



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© 2009 Preston Citizen Preston, Idaho. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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