Supervisors to eye budget plan

Yuma County’s Board of Supervisors will get its first official look at its staff’s recommended budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year Monday, a plan which keeps property tax rates level despite slower-than-expected growth in sales tax and other local revenue.

The total budget plan for the fiscal year totals $229.4 million, a 2.8 percent increase over the current year, according to the recommended budget’s book. Forty percent of that is in the General Fund, at $93.1 million, which covers most administrative and public safety costs.

The majority of the budget, $130.1 million, is coming in from dedicated special revenue funds: these include Highway User Revenue Funds from the state, library district, flood control district, health district, the jail district sales tax, special improvement districts and housing department funding from the federal government and other sources.

Capital projects comprise $5.5 million and another $1 million set aside for debt service.

The fiscal plan recommends a total property tax rate of $3.6262 per $100 of limited property value, slightly down from the current year. Out of that, 2.4884 would go into the General Fund, 0.6202 to the library district, another 0.2562 to library district debt service (the only change from the last budget), and 0.2794 to the flood control district.

The recommended property tax levy is $27.3 million, which is 1.4 percent higher than projected property tax collections in the 2016-17 budget but 0.6 percent below actual revenues.

Total property tax valuations in the county are up to $1.154 billion for the 2017 tax year, up $38 million from 2016. County sales tax collections in fiscal year 2017 increased about 1.7 percent over the previous year, and 2 percent growth is projected for the coming year. Building permit revenue for fiscal 2017 is expected to come in at $244,967, a decrease of about $32,000 from the year before and a fraction of the 2005 peak of $1.4 million.

The proposed budget includes a 2.02 percent pay increase for all employees, and several positions will also get a market-based increase, according to the document. The medical insurance premium is inching up by two percent, but there are slight decreases to the county’s contribution to dependent coverage.

Other major expenses being budgeted for include increases in state pension plan contributions, rising costs under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and mental health care services, replacement of vehicles, phone systems and other equipment, plus continued cost shifts expected from the state budget, which also has not been finalized.

The board is scheduled to begin discussing the budget Monday, and two work sessions are set for next week, on May 9 and 10. Adoption of the tentative budget is set for the May 15 meeting, which sets the cap on spending which can be included in the final budget, set for a vote June 19.

Monday’s meeting begins 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ auditorium at 198 S. Main St. Other agenda items include:

• Approval of construction plans for a drainage improvement project along North Frontage Road between Fortuna Road and Foothills Boulevard, as well for sending the project out to bid and an amendment to an agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation regarding the project.

• An auction for a countyowned property at 12107 S. Sandra Ave. in the Foothills, with a minimum bid of $64,350. The same property had no bidders when it was put up for auction at the March 20 meeting.

• A presentation on Yuma Visitors Bureau activities from Executive Director Linda Morgan.

• A work session will be held after the regular meeting on the county’s communications division’s activities, programs and possible improvements.