County Budget Meeting Nov. 13

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Perry County Board has met every week for the past month to hammer out a 2010 budget. A special meeting is set for Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. to go over the budget one last time before placing it on file for public inspection. The budget must be on file for 15 days before adoption. The new fiscal year begins Dec. 1.

County Clerk Kevin Kern said that office holders have made a good effort at paring back their budgets, as requested at the last budget meeting.

Board Chairman Bobby Kelly commended Kern, the board and the office holders on the work they have done in his absence. He has been ill for the past three weeks.

The state's financial instability and the recession have hit home.

"The board is looking at a terrible situation here," Kern said. "I don't view this as something the to which the office holders have contributed. Revenue is flat or down, the cost of IMRF is up and healthcare costs are out of sight. We're no different than any other municipality"

Kern said that landfill revenue has been cut in half and payments have not been made on time.

"There's not an easy fix," Commissioner Jim Epplin said.

In other business, the board:

passed a resolution approving the tax deeds for the surplus property sale. There were a total of eight deeds approved. Treasurer Bill Taylor said the tax sale got several lots and a hotel back on the tax rolls.

passed a resolution granting a special use permit to Karl Morgenstern to place a mobile home on property owned by his son and daughter-in-law. The property is located on Route 154 west of U.S. 51.

passed resolutions appointing Sherry Dunn to fill Harold Holland's unexpired term on the Mental Health (708) Board and re-appointing Jeff Ashauer to the South Central Transit District Board.