Davis County budget leaner for '09

FARMINGTON — Davis County residents are getting a slightly leaner government in 2009.

Davis County commissioners gave preliminary approval to the proposed budget of $94.4 million.

That's down from the 2008 budget of $94.8 million.

No property tax increase is proposed for 2009, but a public hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. at Farmington Junior High, 150 S. 200 West.

Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings said the county is keeping a basically flat budget because of some cost savings in the personnel department after personnel director Mel Miles successfully negotiated a savings in county employee insurance costs.

Commissioner Louenda Downs said the praise also goes to county employees, who participated in the county's wellness program and earned lower premiums by keeping themselves healthy.

County department heads were also asked to use numbers similar to 2008's budget for the coming year.

Even with the smaller budget, county employees will receive a 3.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment, and 11 full-time equivalent positions will be hired in 2009, though not all of them are funded by the county, and some are conversions of part-time positions into full-time jobs.

The county attorney's office will hire a full-time paralegal to help with a growing caseload. The assessor's office will receive a commercial appraiser and two corrections officers will be added to the jail.

The county is also putting $1 million into a capital projects fund, for future construction projects on county buildings.

"We think it is prudent," Downs said, adding that the commissioners took a cue from the Davis County Library in their decision to put that money aside. Each year, the library director puts money aside for future libraries so that a property tax increase won't be necessary for construction.

"We know we have great needs ahead," Downs said.

Commissioners had been expected to increase property taxes for unincorporated county residents to help make up the difference in tax revenue mistakenly given to counties by the Utah State Tax Commission.

About $8.7 million in sales-tax revenue from telecommunications companies was taken from Utah counties and given to cities, which were supposed to receive the money in the first place, but it was sent to the counties after telecommunications providers incorrectly reported their taxes.

The errant distributions had been going on since 2005.

Because the counties are still in negotiations with the state tax commission, Davis County can still count on that revenue for 2009.

But 2010 could be a different story, Rawlings said, adding that county officials will likely have to begin dealing with the loss in revenue then.

2009 Davis County budget highlights

Total budget: $94.4 million

Property tax increase: none

New employees: 11 full-time equivalents

Employee raises: 3.5 percent COLA

Public hearing: Dec. 3, 7 p.m., Farmington Jr. High

---

E-MAIL: jdougherty@desnews.com