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HUNTINGDON (July 19) — The proposed 2019-2020 budget for the county of Carroll is based on a tax rate of $1.55 per $100 assessed value of real property. That is the same rate as last year.
The proposed budget, which will be presented to the full Carroll County Commission on August 12, includes a two-percent raise for all county employees, a minimum of $12 per hour for 30 of a total of 44 part-time employees, a minimum pay of $30,000 for the head librarian, and a $5,000 annual bonus for Stacey McCaleb and Jenny Gordon once they attain their Certified County Financial Officer certification.
Also included are approximately $150,000 to erect a new communications tower in south Carroll County to aid fire and law enforcement, grant funds for the new Prevention Coalition coordinator, and funding for school resource officers which are funded by the individual school systems.
Mayor Joseph Butler announced the budget relies on approximately $555,000 in reserve funds (savings) to balance the budget. That compares to $861,000 pulled from reserves during the 2018-19 fiscal year on a budget approved by the previous administration and inherited by the Butler administration.
Butler said the county has manageable debt of which some could be attacked more aggressively if the county commissioners choose to do so. He said he will aggressively seek state and federal grants for local projects.