3. Preliminary budget approval - Laserfiche WebLink

:CASS C(JUNIY' 'Cil)VERNMENT 1..1.. Auditor Michad M,'nriI'LLhlr, l 'P.-\ Il~I.241.')N'1 Treasurer \ :harl(lttl' Salhhik 1,~1.241.'){)11 Director of Equalization Frank Kkin Il' 1.241.'){) It) 8\1\ 2,-'\'() 211 N lI1rh Stred S, IUh Far!!,., N\lrth l\ik"r;, :;~ll'; 1-.1\ iTl.241.:;i> \\'\\W,l'<lSSl'\ III ntv,!!\ 1\ .e' '111 August 21, 2006 Board of County Commissioners Cass County Government 211 9th St. S. Fargo ND 58108 Re: Preliminary Budget Dear Commissioners: Following the meetings over the past couple of weeks, I have prepared the Budget/Levy Summary for 2007 based on several possible decisions by you as the Board of County Commissioners. When we last met on August 15th you expressed some interest in different budget options, including a mill levy reduction; allocating some dollars for the Building Fund; and allocating some dollars for the proposal by the Fargo Senior Commission on funding their new administrative offices. These options are as follows. O~tion 1: The budget as left after the preliminary meetings on August 15t -the budget calls for a total of 70.85 mills for 2007, down Y2 of a mill from the 2006 level with the decrease coming in taxes to support Southeast Cass Water Resource District. The mill levy for the funds under the Home Rule cap would remain at 62 mills, the same as for 2006, or 13 mills below the cap as outlined in the Home Rule Charter. The total budget for the county, including those boards that the County Commission appoint, is $52,434,258 compared to $51,198,533 for 2006, or about 2.4% higher than 2006. Option 2: Reduction from 62.00 mills levied in 2006 under the Home Rule Charter cap to 61.00 mills--this reduction is possible due to the work done by the County Commission over the past two weeks and still leaves the county with reasonable cash reserves. Option 3: Continue the 1.00 mill reduction in Option 2, and also allocate $500,000 from the General Fund to the Building Fund. This would increase the fund set aside for a future downtown campus addition to $8 million dollars. Option 4: Continue the 1.00 mill reduction in Option 2, the $500,000 allocation to the Building Fund in Option 3, and also move Y2 of a mill to the Fargo Senior Commission from the Human Service Fund to partially pay for their request of support in building new administrative offices. The Fargo Senior Commission has requested a total of $700,000 from the County to build the $1.7 million dollar facility. Moving Y2 of a mill to the Senior Citizens levy would allow for the first payment of $200,000 in a contribution for the administrative offices.