Supervisors hold budget hearing, tax rates to rise due to EMS tax

                  The Wright County Board of Supervisors met Monday morning. The biggest agenda item was a public hearing for the 2019-2020 fiscal year budget.

                  The budget hearing was held. Auditor Betty Ellis noted that the all tax levies stayed the same except countywide Emergency Medical Services tax that was voted on by the county. Due to this “ambulance tax,” the tax levies will rise 65.134 cents per thousand. Ellis added that property tax will bring in about $1 million more to the county than the past few years. She also pointed out that the budget shows that the county has taken out a lot of debt due to big projects like the Agri-Business Park and Eagle Grove School project. She noted though that that debt is paid for by TIF from Prestage and no citizens’ taxes are paying that debt. Ellis said after all is said and done and all departments and projects are budgeted for, the county will be left with an approximate $1.3 million end balance to operate on. (See the budget outline published in the February 21^st paper for more information.) The budget was ultimately approved.

For the full story, see the March 14th issue of the Monitor.