By JARED ORZOLEK
orzolek@crescent-news.com
NAPOLEON -- Henry County commissioners on Thursday approved a 2009 budget totaling $42.4 million -- including a general fund that tops $8 million for the first time since 2004.
General fund appropriations, which support entities like county departments, the sheriff's office and the soil and water conservation district, total $8,046,000.
The 2008 general fund totaled just under $8 million, which was an increase of 4.34 percent when compared to 2007 allocations of $7.7 million.
The total Henry County budget of $42.4 million surpasses revenues projected at $37.2 million. The difference will be made up with carryover balance and with a lump sum payment on the outstanding debt incurred with the purchase and renovation of the Henry County Office Complex.
The total budget includes the finances of all county agencies, with all projected revenue and expenses for the year.
"There are a lot of counties out there that are starting to get where we were three or four years ago," said county Commissioner Richard Myers, referencing the budget difficulties Henry County previously encountered. "It's a pretty nice feeling to know that things are in pretty good shape."
The county general fund had dipped as low as $7.5 million in 2006, when the county's bottom line was hit hard prior to the passage of a .5 percent sales tax increase in November 2006.
General fund appropriations increasing next year include the sheriff's office, which will rise 6.42 percent to $1.23 million, and the engineer's office, which will see a general fund allocation of $103,000, which is a 34 percent increase.
Departments to see a cut in general fund allocations include the commissioners, which will drop 19 percent to $264,368, due mostly to the conclusion of a phone system upgrade project expected to reduce the county's phone bill.
Dropping 1 percent is the allocation of the veterans service agency, which will fall to $243,200.
The Henry County Senior Center will not receive a general fund allocation in 2009 as this funding has been replaced by a levy voters approved for senior services.
The general fund is supported by sales taxes, which are projected at $3.4 million in 2009, along with real estate taxes estimated at $1.5 million and other funding sources.
County Auditor Kevin Nye said sales tax revenue in 2008 has topped his projection by nearly 7 percent.
General fund allocations for 2009 (with 2008 appropriations in parenthesis) are:
-- commissioners, $264,368 ($280,302)
-- common pleas court, $92,800 ($91,550)
-- adult probate, $31,700 ($30,100)
-- family court, $435,569 ($430,849)
-- probate court, $58,000 ($56,500)
-- clerk of courts, $163,147 ($139,554)
-- coroner, $58,244 ($57,339)
-- municipal court, $108,184 ($103,660)
-- board of elections, $227,581 ($214,174)
-- buildings and grounds, $50,000 ($50,000)
-- maintenance, $211,000 ($198,635)
-- recorder, $95,056 ($92,701)
-- veterans services, $243,200 ($245,650)
-- engineer, $103,895 ($77,300)
-- senior center, $0 ($56,280)
-- transportation network, $0 ($8,400)
-- regional jail, $900,000 ($925,000)
-- Ohio State University Extension, $124,974 ($114,618)
-- soil and water conservation district, $116,000 ($92,000)
-- child services, $500,000 ($500,000)
-- auditor, $177,756 ($172,866)
-- treasurer, $120,965 ($118,105)
-- prosecutor, $213,779 ($208,109)
-- sheriff, $1,232,995 ($1,158,582)
-- planning, $69,225 ($50,055)