County Budget
By: Roger Gass
Updated: August 28, 2007
At Tuesday's meeting, county officials say managing Tom Green County will cost more next year and because of that, the county needs a larger budget.
Tom Green County Treasurer Dianna Spieker said,"The approximate increase is about a 4.7 increase over last year's budget. The majority of the items are, because we are a service, that is what government does is provide a service to the public so a large percentage of our cost is associated with salaries."
Writing payroll checks for county staff members is not the only cost that the County has. Tom Green County Judge Mike Brown says there are many other expenses the county is accountable for.
Judge Brown said, "Court appointed attorneys, the jail, the court systems all those various issues we are mandated to fund and if cost associated with doing that business goes up then that is what we have to do. We have to fund it, we don't have a choice."
The question you may be wondering is how does the county come up with the needed funds? That's right, you the tax payer.
Dianna Spieker said, "It will in a sense that you know county budget is made up of fees and fines that come through the different statutes. It's made up of your birth certificate fees all that type stuff through the criminal system court cost. A large portion of it is through property tax."
Brown says an increase is necessary however they are trying to lessen the burden on county residents.
Judge Brown said, "We work on the budget for month and a half to two months and we look at everything we can to save money and we do chop and cut but we do have to add when it is mandated. We try to do the best we can but we might not always do what is popular but we try to do what is right."
