Dec 14, 2017 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – The Greene County commissioners adopted their 2018 budget Thursday that keeps spending fairly in line with the current year and calls for no increase in property taxes.

The budget is similar to the preliminary budget approved by the commissioners last month, county Chief Clerk Jeff Marshall said.

The commissioners approved setting the millage rate at the current rate of 7.535 mills. This breaks down to 6.77 mills for the general fund, 0.695 of a mill for debt service and 0.07 of a mill for the library fund.

The budget keeps spending “fairly level” compared to the current year, Marshall said earlier. It includes increases for insurance, pensions and salaries, “but generally, it’s a pretty level budget,” he said.

The budget also reflects a decline in revenue from property taxes as assessment figures show a $36 million decline in total property value, primarily from reduced coal values.

The 2018 general fund budget of $18.7 million is actually about $2.25 million less than that for the current year, which Marshall attributed to a change in accounting procedures.

In the past, he said, the county has included a projected number in the budget for that year’s Act 13 natural gas impact fee revenue, even though the amount is not known until July when disbursements for the program are announced.

From now on, money the county receives for the impact fee for the year will be included in the next year’s budget, Marshall said. The impact fee money from 2017 was included in this 2018 budget.

The county is using the vast majority of the $3.794 million from last year’s Act 13 allotment for the general fund, with $1.2 million going to the county jail allocation and another $1 million for Children Youth and Services.

The overall spending plan, which includes the state’s Liquid Fuels tax allocation, 911 fund, Community Development Block Grant money and human services funds, will decline from $31.8 million to $28.8 million. This, too, is attributed to the accounting change involving impact fee revenue.

The commissioners Thursday also approved a resolution supporting an application for a $750,000 state grant from the competitive Community Development Block Grant program.

The grant is being applied for by Wayne Township and will be used to rehabilitate the Brave Water and Sewer Authority water system.

The authority serves about 80 customers in Brave. It purchases treated water for distribution from the Morgantown, W.Va., Utilities Board. The grant would be used to replace old water lines and possibly replace water meters, said Crystal Simmons, the county’s CDBG administrator.

The commissioners also approved $3,000 grants to each of the county’s 16 volunteer fire companies.

“It’s the least we can do to show appreciation for our fire departments,” board Chairman Blair Zimmerman said, expressing thanks to the volunteers.

Another $2,500 grant was given to High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, which holds nationally-televised motocross races, through a Tourism Community Events and Project Grant, funded by proceeds from the tax on local motels.

Regional editor Mike Jones contributed to this report.