3. Adopt final budget for 2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

GOVERNMENT Auditor Michael Montplaisir, CPA 701-241-5601 Treasurer Charlotte Sandvik 701-241-5611 Director of Equalization Frank Klein 701.241-5616 Box 2806 211 Ninth Street South Fargo, North Dakota 58103 September 29, 2003 Board of County Commissioners Cass County Government 211 9th St. S. Fargo ND 58103 Re: 2004 Budget Approval Dear Commissioners: Today, you have on your agenda the approval of the 2004 Cass County budget. You have spent considerable time reviewing and making changes to the proposed budget; and while it is not everything that everyone would like to see, it is a good budget for Cass County. The 2004 budget calls for almost the same mill levy as the 2003 budget. The General and Special Funds mill levy is down slightly from the 65.05 mills levied for 2003 to 65.00 mills for 2004. Other agency budgets included as part of Cass County's budget are up only by .25 mills to more adequately fund the Vector Control District. The maximum county mill levy on any property in the county has increased by only .20 mills, or less than $1 on a $100,000 house. A major portion of Cass County's budget is personnel costs. Personnel costs for current employees will increase by $1.7 million dollars - or approximately 10%. This includes benefit costs in addition to the salary costs. New employees included in the budget add another $420,000 to the personnel costs. A schedule of Projected Wages and Benefits is included in the accompanying schedules. The 2004 budget includes funds for planning and preparing bid documents for both the proposed west annex to the Courthouse and the first addition to the new County Jail. Funds for the planning and architect fees will come from existing funds on hand in construction funds. Also included in the 2004 budget are dollars for the planning and construction of new facility for the Weed Control Board and the Vector Control Board, to be built at the County Highway Department. The funds for this construction project would be borrowed either through a bond sale or through a financial institution. Repayment on the debt would begin in the 2005 budget and would be levied in the Weed and Vector Funds. The 2004 budget does call for spending more funds than the county will raise next year in revenues. These additional funds will come from available reserves on hand in the various funds but will not reduce reserves below the county's goal of budgeting for a 10% reserve fund. A Budget/Levy Summary for the 2004 Budget is included in the accompanying schedules. FAX 701.241.5728