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At least two Winona County commissioners want to limit the county’s 2009 tax-levy increase to an amount less than the current inflation rate, though county administrators and at least one other commissioner said Tuesday that the board should remain open to a steeper increase.
Commissioners Marcia Ward and Jim Pomeroy said Tuesday morning n a week before they will set the county’s preliminary 2009 tax levy n that they won’t back a levy increase of more than 4.5 percent. That should be enough to balance the county budget without any major programs cuts or layoffs, county leaders have said.
After indicating in July that the county could face a shortfall of up to $1.5 million in 2009, administrators have trimmed the projected shortfall through spending cuts and sunnier revenue projections. But with counties now unable to make large levy increases from year-to-year, County Administrator Bob Reinert and commissioner David Stoltman said Tuesday that the board should guard against having to make painful program cuts in 2010 and beyond.
For more information, see Wednesday's Winona Daily News.
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