The county budget was finalized last week; the accompanying chart breaks down the budgets of each department. The county commissioners told us that key takeaways from the 2020-21 budget are that local taxes will remain essentially the same as last year, and we won’t see any substantial budget reductions. A slight drop in mill value levels make the numbers a tad different overall, but essentially we’re looking at a similar amount of money taken from the taxpayer’s coffers.
One major addition this year which isn’t reflected in the accompanying chart is the addition of over $490,000 in COVID-19 grants, from state and federal sources. The county has received ten different grants, with some being earmarked for certain projects, while the bulk has come down without specific guidance on where it may be spent. According to Powder River County Clerk & Recorder Cynde Jo Gatlin, much of the grant money is being held in reserve until specific guidance comes down as to where the money may be used.
Commissioner Rod Schaffer told us that the county has been moving forward with their road plan, including crushing gravel and building up a nice reserve of gravel.
Anyone with specific questions about the budget may contact the county commissioners.
Here's a link to a breakdown of the budget by department:
https://www.powderriverexaminer.com/home/customer_files/misc/budget-1.jpg
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