The Monroe County commissioners will be meeting on Wednesday morning to vote on adopting the 2025 budget. A 1.5-mill tax increase is proposed.

At a special commissioners meeting on Nov. 27, the presented budget included a tax increase of 1.5 mills, which would bring the millage rate to 5.4773 mills.

Of that amount, 4.9631 mills will be used for general purposes, and the remaining 0.5142 mill was designated for the debt service. The library millage rate will remain 0.185814 mill.

The total amount of the budget is $146,563,636, and the general fund budget is $77,251,607. The proposed 2025 County Liquid Fuels Budget is $457,167.

Jennifer Barclay, the fiscal director for the county, went over some of the main points of the budget at the meeting. These include:

• 19 new full-time and one part-time position was approved for the courts, district attorney, maintenance and sheriff’s departments.

• Information Technology Services would get 5.5 new positions to provided more support for the courthouse computer system, servers and cyber security.

• In September 2024, the employee portion of health care contributions increased 10%, and the county’s contribution increased 50% to 76% depending on the plan.

• The budgeted amount for retirement costs is $4.9 million, which is $700,000 more than was in 2024 budget, and $806,315 more than the actual 2024 contribution.

• Capital expenditures are $346,084, and computer capital expenditures is $407,535.

• The current long term debt obligation on Dec. 31, 2024 is $101,318,562, and estimated to be $93,768,658 on Dec. 31, 2025.

• Grant revenue total is $35 million, which is divided out to Health and Human Services (Children and Youth, Area Agency on Aging, Human Services, and other fiscal funds), $25.06 million; Public Safety, $5.53 million; Courts (District Attorney’s Office, Domestic Relations, Adult and Juvenile Probation), $3.74 million; Elections Integrity Grant, $594,282; and general government departments, $76,500.

Commissioner Chairman John Christy gave several reasons why the increase of 1.5 mills is necessary in order to balance the budget.

He said the county has lost revenue in property tax assessments due to appeals, and it has also had increases in debt services on its debt.

Plus, the fund balance has been used to balance the budget in prior years, and there is little to no increase in state and federal funding for the correctional facility and courts and related services. The county also has increases in salaries and has added new positions.