Washington County commissioners approve 2023 budget with no tax increase
The Washington County commissioners passed their 2023 budget Thursday afternoon with no tax increase.
The $163.65 million spending plan that will keep property taxes at 2.43 mills was unanimously passed during the county’s last regularly scheduled meeting of the year.
A large portion of the expenses for next year include funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act that the county has earmarked for numerous upcoming projects, but has until 2026 to spend. Estimated revenue for next year is about $100 million, county Finance Director Joshua Hatfield said.
The final budget was nearly identical to the proposed plan that the county made public Nov. 21.
“No significant changes from the (proposed budget) posting and the most important thing, no tax increase,” Hatfield said.
The 2023 spending plan is about $15 million higher than this year’s budget due to the ARPA money. The county has received nearly $100 million in ARPA money in the past two years that has been earmarked for various projects this year, including broadband expansion, radio upgrades and the courthouse’s courtroom expansion. Increasing costs for staffing, retirement contributions and higher fuel prices accounted for the rest of the increase in the budget.
“A large part of that is anticipated ARPA spending for next year,” Hatfield said.
After the meeting, county Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan credited Hatfield and the county’s finance team for putting together a budget without a tax increase.
“We are so happy to deliver to Washington County our 13th consecutive balanced budget with no tax increase,” Irey Vaughan said. “I want to thank all of our team members in our finance department for all of their hard work in delivering this budget.”
Taxes have not increased in 13 years, although the rate was adjusted in 2018 following the countywide property reassessment.
The commissioners will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday to set the salaries of elected officials, although no additional information about the meeting was available.
Beginning next year, the commissioners will meet only once a month instead of the customary two monthly meetings during most of the year. The meetings will be held in a conference room on the ground floor of the county’s Crossroads Center building at 95 W. Beau St. in Washington. The first meeting there will be the annual board reorganization at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9.