Budget priorities
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 1:49 PM PDT
Julie Engel Argus Observer
Payette
It is budget time for most local Idaho cities and many already have their appropriations set for the 2006 to 2007 fiscal year.
Weiser, Fruitland and Payette County opted to take the 3 percent taxable property levy, while New Plymouth did not take the levy and Payette must still decide on what avenue to take.
Payette County will hold a public hearing on its budget at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 5 in the district courtroom at the Payette County Courthouse.
The Payette City Council will hold a special public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss the city's budget. The public hearing portion of the city budget process is over, so public testimony will no longer be heard on the issue.
How the 3 percent levy works:
The 3 percent levy is not an additional 3 percent added to property taxes, but a 3 percent increase on the tax levy of the entire city.
For example, if a city had a tax levy of $50,000, after the 3 percent taxable property levy is established, the levy would be $51,500.
The levy rate - a percentage multiplied by a property's value to determine taxes paid - is computed from the taxable value of a city. The levy rate fluctuates from year to year depending on a city's taxable value.
“It is not an additional 3 percent on property value, it is strictly a 3 percent increase on tax dollars, spread across the whole,” Payette Deputy City Clerk Kellie McCombs said.
In the last three years, the tax levy for Payette was stable, at $1.7 million, McCombs said, which will bring in about $51,000 under the proposed budget.
Under the new homeowners exemption in Idaho, a $150,000 home in Payette has a taxable value of $75,000.
Even though the levy rate would be higher under the Payette 2006 to 2007 proposed budget, that homeowner would pay $7.64 per month less than the year before with the new homeowner's exemption.
Business owners who have property valued at $500,000 would pay $86.59 more per month under the proposed levy rate, according to figures drawn up by McCombs.
The total anticipated revenue for the city of Payette is about $7.5 million.
A large portion of the budget is in the general fund - about $2.6 million - which covers everything from administrative costs to police and fire appropriations.
The New Plymouth budget is about $1.2 million, with the general fund taking up large portion of it at about $400,000.
New Plymouth City Clerk Angela P'Pool said the city plans on renovating the dog pound during the next fiscal year, and police, fire and administration also fall under the general fund category.
New Plymouth contracts its law enforcement services with the Payette County Sheriff's Office.
Fruitland's budget is estimated to be about $7.1 million, with the street fund taking the most money next fiscal year.
Construction projects in the estimated $2.3 million street fund consume more than half of the monies with about $1.7 million. Fruitland City Administrator Rick Watkins said the Allens Avenue, Northwest 16th Street and South Pennsylvania street projects are slated for the next fiscal year.
The Weiser budget is almost $12 million for the next fiscal year, and Weiser City Clerk Dean Davies said the electric and water funds are two major portions of next year's budget.
He said the electric fund is about $3 million, and the water fund is around $2.4 million.
The city has been working on phases one and two of upgrades to the water treatment plant, Davies said.
