Jasper County council debate centers on FY26�2727 budget, fire-district split and millage scenarios

The Jasper County Council devoted its Friday meeting to detailed work on the proposed fiscal year 20262727 budget, focusing on how to allocate fire and EMS costs and what millage rate to set for county and rural taxpayers.

Kim (budget presenter) walked the council through a revenue-and-expenditure spreadsheet and scenario runs, saying the rural fire-district expenditures are $9,049,200 and that, under the version of the budget presented, the proposed county millage paired with the fire district would result in a combined millage of about 166.6 mills for an unincorporated Jasper County property owner (derived from a county millage figure presented as 102.3 plus the fire district rate of 59.3). She also said property-tax revenue for the budget is projected at roughly $32 million and that the county is holding cash carried forward at about $3,971,400.

"The fire rural district fire expenditures are $9,049,200," Kim said while showing the chart, and later noted net changes after cuts were small: after reductions and lowered airport revenue the net change was roughly a $141,000 decrease.

Council members exchanged competing priorities over three principal allocation approaches:

- Supporters of an 80/20 split argued it yields savings for incorporated-area (municipal) property owners and better preserves service improvements; one member stated plainly, "I definitely 80/20." (Gene)

- Advocates of a 50/50 split pointed out it would spread costs more evenly across the county but would raise the average unincorporated property owner's bill by staff's sample estimate of about $270 per year.

- Several council members proposed a middle path (variously described as 60/40 or "somewhere between" 80/20 and 50/50). Vice Chair Rozellier and others said a 60/40-ish split would be a workable compromise that could be refined in the coming days.

Members discussed statutory and contractual constraints that require certain fire-related debt and apparatus financing remain in the fire district and cannot be reallocated to municipalities. They also discussed operational adjustments staff had made to the draft budget: reducing airport operating agreement revenue, trimming vending and merchandise revenue, removing one unfilled finance position, scaling back consulting services by approximately $25,000 and deferring some hiring. Staff said these changes produced a modest net expenditure reduction.

Council directed staff to produce updated "plug-and-play" spreadsheets showing 60/40 and other scenarios and to email and include those spreadsheets in the public e-packet before Monday's third reading so the public can see the numbers. Members also requested a clearer, side-by-side breakout of strictly "fire" costs versus EMS costs and suggested preparing a written resolution to record council direction ahead of the next readings.

Next steps: staff will email scenario sheets and update the e-packet for Monday's final reading; the administrator and legal counsel will follow up on magistrate-compensation items from executive session.