Rising fuel costs hurting county services
Posted on Thursday, June 26, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/wrvn/News/4040/
Judge Wes Fowler painted a bleak picture of the future to the Madison County Quorum Court if fuel costs continue to rise.
“ If this trend (rising costs ) continues or if prices donít go back down, we may be looking at just grading and doing the minimum, ” Fowler said.
Off-road diesel has risen $ 1. 73 a gallon since February of this year, according to Fowler. He stated the county averages about 140, 000 gallons of diesel a year and 42, 000 gallons of gasoline. “ This will have over a quarter of a million dollar impact on our budget, ” he said.
Some county employees have already gone to a fourday work week to help alleviate some of the gas use.
“ We may have to look at reducing some services due to fuel costs, ” Fowler told the court.
Fuel costs to the county last year were approximately $ 450, 000. This year the county has already spent $ 300, 000 and is estimating around $ 600, 000 for the yearly total.
In other business, Fowler explained to the court that he had received complaints and had been told complaints had been made to the local state representative. According to Fowler, some residents were afraid FEMA money was being used to do other work and not to repair their storm damaged roads.
Fowler explained no FEMA money has been received by the county and will not be received until all the work as well as paperwork was done.
“ The scope of this disaster was so large, we will still have places not fixed back for one and a half to two years, ” Fowler said. “ This event was so large and covers so much of the county, we don’t have the means or the money, or the resources to outsource. ”
The court heard from Dennis Wells, project manager for CAMA. CAMA Technology is the party responsible for conducting the county wide reappraisal. The county was reappraised in 1999 and again this year, as part of the state mandated reappraisal cycle. Due to increases, Madison County will be on a three year cycle now.
According to Wells, agriculture land and timber land have both been increased this year by the state.
Notices of change in assessment will be mailed to residents in the early to mid part of July. Residents with questions are urged to contact Wells at 870-423-3991 or Bess Jackson Madison County Assessor.
Residents have a chance to appeal to the Board of Equalization, as well as the court if they can prove the appraisals are inaccurate. Wells stressed the first step was to contact himself or the assessor’s office to review the appraisal first. The rate increases will appear on the 2009 tax bills.