County’s budget talks ongoing, ending soon

Budget talks with the Jasper County Board of Supervisors continued Wednesday with discussions from the Jasper County Library Board, Mental Health Department and Domestic Violence Advocates/Sexual Assault Center.

Mental Health

Mental Health Services Director Jody Eaton told the supervisors that the mental health budget for next fiscal year was slightly lower than this fiscal year. The department currently has a 13 percent fund balance, since the maximum possible was not levied for this fiscal year. Unknowns include wages and salaries, as well as what the state plans to do about paying waivers services for developmental disabilities, which includes group homes, Progress Industries programs and pre-vocational services.

Eaton said if the state does not pay for those waiver services, Jasper County will have to levy at the maximum amount, $3.1 million.

“I think we’re going to have to plan on that maximum levy rate and hope for the best,” supervisor Denny Stevenson said.

It’s also uncertain if the county can cut back on the levy rate after the budget has been certified on March 15.

Library Board

“The library is knowledge accessible to everyone. Although it’s free of charge, it’s not free of costs,” library board member June Hjortshoj told the supervisors. County funding for this fiscal year was $146,435.

For next fiscal year, the library board is asking $177,642.92, based on weighted average cost of $2.59 per rural circulation.

Stevenson said he was a proponent of the county library system, but was concerned about other unknown variables in the county budget, including the mental health budget.

DVA/SAC

Dottie Thompson, director of Domestic Violence Advocates/Sexual Assault Center told the supervisors her organization was asking for $2,500 for next fiscal year, the same as this fiscal year’s asking.

Her organization has operated a support group at Clearview Recovery Center in Prairie City, worked with students at DMACC and area high schools and middle schools, and is planning talks with law enforcement for training at the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.

Stevenson said he felt it was important to try to prevent domestic violence through DVA/SAC programs, so those don’t end up in mental health figures.