County Commission approves 2020 budget

The Nodaway County commissioners approved the projected 2020 income and expenditures during their budget hearing on January 28.

The over $10.1 million budget projects slightly more in sales tax revenue and use tax monies as well as the road and bridge gravel taxes coming in less than in previous years for a total of $40,576 more than 2019. The commission did choose to levy 16¢ per $100 assessed value for the administration center due to the operation costs of $445,258 that includes a debt payment of $356,000.

County Clerk Melinda Patton, the county’s budget officer, delivered the budget message to the commissioners during the budget hearing.

“The 2019 budget allowed for the replacement or upgrade of all computers or computer software to accommodate the expiration of Windows 7.  Due to a lightning strike in August of 2019, the county was forced to step up their time table for upgrading the phone system.  The elected officers of Nodaway County had been exploring the cost and time table of moving from the existing copper wire system, which now could not be completely restored, to a cloud-based system.  The damage from the lightning storm pushed the time table up and this project was completed in November/December of 2019.”

“The Commission worked with the City of Maryville in 2019 to come to an agreement in working towards a Consolidated 911 program.  Our budget in 2020 reflects a continuance of the E-911 funds for the entire year as we will continue to serve the county residents until such time that the merge happens.  We have also budgeted in for half the cost to purchase the new equipment for the Consolidated 911 project per our agreement with the city.  The city is building a structure that will house the Consolidated 911 and projects it to be completed in late summer of 2020.  At the time of consolidation, the county will turn over any 911 reserves.”

While there are no county major construction or maintenance projects planned for the upcoming year, minor repairs will be made to the Nodaway County Courthouse to keep the structure in its current state.

Each county employee both hired and elected, was given a 1.6 percent COLA raise this year.

The general revenue operating fund for the upcoming year is estimated to be $4.6 million, which is an increase from last year.

“Clear Creek Wind Project constructed 111 wind turbines with 242 megawatts of power total to be assessed.  Tax monies of approximately $1.427 million will be collected and distributed in 2020.  Then in 2021, the White Cloud Wind Project will be constructing wind turbines with 236 megawatts of power to bring approximately $1.39 million to Nodaway County,” said Patton.

The road and bridge department budget is $3.442 million, seeing a increase in revenue from last year. The county plans to build five soft-match bridges in the upcoming year and one FEMA bridge. Additional $13,347 revenue added to the road and bridge department is coming from Enel Tradewind’s project. Monies for this department comes from gas tax, $831,500; vehicle tax, $359,000; property tax, $162,000; general revenue, $250,000 and use tax, $150,000.

The county’s funds support several general public welfare agencies. The amounts approved include: New Nodaway Humane Society, $1,500; Children and Family Center of Northwest Missouri, $2,500; Big Brothers Big Sisters, $2,000; Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation, $2,000; Nodaway County Economic Development, $41,000; Emergency Management, $14,000; drug dog, $3,000; Soil and Water Conservation, $15,000; and Maryville Chamber of Commerce, $1,000.

The county also donates $2,000 to Children’s Mercy Hospital in support of Nodaway County children who utilize the facility for medical needs.

Patton noted, “Within the Election Services fund, the clerk has opted to bring back the scholarship program for area high school students beginning in 2020.  This fund was established to allow five percent of the cost of all elections to be collected and placed in this fund for needs associated with elections.“

Included in the Assessor’s 2020 budget is $75,000 to re-fly the county to produce 6-inch color photos. This will allow the county to get exact locations of turbines and river changes that have occurred over the last two years, and updated assessments on buildings that are new or buildings that have been torn down, but not reported.