Madison County board adopts FY2023 budget and levy, keeps property-tax rate unchanged; approves vehicle and capital purchases

Madison County adopted its FY2023 budget and a tax levy ordinance on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, while the board emphasized it was keeping the county’s overall property-tax levy flat for a fifth straight year. The board approved the levy ordinance (Ordinance 2022-06) and a series of committee recommendations that included vehicle purchases, equipment, and transportation funding.

Why this matters: The budget sets spending and priorities for county operations — from public safety to roads — and the decision not to raise the general county tax levy was a central talking point among board leaders. Finance Chair Chris Guy told the board the plan included reallocations to cover specific needs such as higher costs for veterans assistance and sheriff/public-safety impacts tied to new state requirements.

The budget and levy: The board discussed and approved several amendments before adopting the final FY2023 budget. The most notable manager-requested amendments approved included a $100,000 addition to the State’s Attorney budget to restore a grant-funded position and a reallocation that removed $1.5 million in capital outlay that had been set aside for purchasing new voting tabulators; the latter amendment was proposed to give the new county clerk time to review options. Chris Guy framed the final package as maintaining a flat property-tax levy while addressing department needs, saying the adopted plan would “not increase property taxes” for the county. The Board recorded roll-call approvals for the amended budget and related actions in the meeting minutes.

Purchases and committee actions: The board approved multiple purchases and project appropriations recommended by committee, typically by unanimous roll-call votes recorded in the minutes. Key approvals included transportation appropriations for an Old Troy Road roundabout and Tolle Lane reconstruction, highway equipment and Trimble GPS purchases for the county highway department, facility management projects, and a set of vehicles to replace aging fleet units in various departments. The board also approved vehicle purchases for the Coroner’s Office and authorized public-safety radio replacements for the Sheriff’s Office.

Votes at a glance (selected):
- FY2023 budget amendments: adopted after the Finance Committee amendments (recorded as amended during the meeting). The board recorded roll-call votes to amend and adopt the FY2023 budget package.
- Ordinance 2022-06 (tax levy for Dec. 1, 2022–Nov. 30, 2023): recorded in the minutes with adopted levy amounts; the Finance Committee presented the ordinance and the board adopted it.
- Multiple equipment/vehicle purchases and transportation appropriations: approved by committee and adopted by the board (votes recorded in the meeting minutes; many were adopted 25–0).

What’s next: The budget takes effect Dec. 1, 2022. Several capital purchases will move to procurement and contract execution; the county clerk’s office retained discretion to revisit the previously proposed purchase of new voting tabulators, according to Finance Committee discussion.

Reporting and process notes: The meeting packet contains itemized budget pages and the line-item “budget load” used for the board’s approval. Where the minutes note roll-call tallies, those were recorded in and attached to the official meeting record.