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MITCHELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS â€“ Monday, July 31, 2023

By Terry Bailey

The Mitchell County Commissioners conducted a business meeting at the Courthouse on Monday, July 31st. The 2023 County budget was the major purpose of the meeting. All Commissioners and the County Clerk were present.
At 8:30 a.m. a thirty-minute open hearing was called to order to discuss the budgets of Lulu, Logan, Center, Hayes and Eureka Townships. Nobody appeared during the 30-minute time period for the hearing. The budgets were accepted as printed.
Commissioner Tom Claussen read a Thank You note from Judy Pettijohn expressing her appreciation for the kindness extended by Mitchell County for her husband Bill Pettijohn's passing.
It was announced that Representative Tracey Mann from the First Congressional District will hold an open meeting at the Port Library on August 3rd. All interested citizens are invited to attend and listen and/or ask questions.
A Neighborhood Revitalization Grant was approved for Skyler and Michelle Wise on a 52'x102' house shell in the amount of $501,000.
Mitchell County will host the Multi-County meeting on September 18th. About 20 people will be expected to attend. The meeting will be held at the Mitchell County Historical Museum. The meal will be catered by Tony Prochaska.
The public hearing to consider the next Mitchell County budget was called to order. In attendance were Yvonne Melton, County Treasurer; Tami Eck, Register of Deeds; Melinda Latham, County Appraiser; Missy McGinnis, Emergency Medical Service; Marty Hernandez, Public Works; Tony Perez, County Sheriff; and Cortney Murrow, County Health. No citizens of Mitchell County appeared to speak for or against the proposed budget.
Auditor Jeff Reece with Lindburg Vogel Pierce Faris, Chartered, led a line-by-line examination of the proposed budget. As expected, money was added, and money was subtracted in the budget consideration process. The guiding factor was the Revenue Neutral Rate. If the proposed budget exceed the "Magic Number" of 88.176 mils this triggers a number of examinations of the numbers.
At the end of the three-hour exhaustive dissection of the numbers, the proposed mil level stood at 88.112.
The Commissioners expressed concern that with the numbers this close, there were probably no employee raises for next year. The expressed belief that the County has given generous raises over the past two years but will be unable to do so next year.
A public hearing was called to order to discuss proposed Flood Plain Resolution Number 23-02. No citizen appeared to speak for or against the resolution. The Commissioners voted to rescind the current Resolution 2-04 and to approve the new Resolution 23-02. The Flood Plain Hearing was adjourned.
Having addressed all the items on the published agenda, the meeting was adjourned.

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