Earlier this week, the Greene County Board of Supervisors approved the 2018 fiscal year budget.

The Board approved a one-cent increase to the combined tax levy to $8.85 for the next fiscal year. The combined tax levy is made up of the rural and county-wide tax levies. The rural tax levy is $3.20 per $1,000 valuation and the county-wide tax levy is $5.65. Currently, the rural tax levy is $3.16 and the county-wide tax levy is $5.68. Board Chair John Muir believes they have been good stewards of the taxpayer money by only having a one-cent increase in taxes over the last few years.

“I think we’ve just been real fortunate that all the departments worked with us to try and keep and keep costs down. With all the facts that we’re given on different things, we make the decision on what services we think are very necessary and what ones we can maybe back off of a little bit.”

Overall, Muir thought that budgeting process went well. One area that they had to make a hard decision was in regards to the sheriff’s budget. Sheriff Jack Williams proposed an increase in overtime pay for all deputies and he asked for an additional deputy. The Supervisors approved adding an additional deputy and kept the overtime pay where it is currently at $3,500 instead of the proposed $5,000.

The Supervisors had to submit their budget to the state by March 15th.