County Council Budget Letter

EDITORS NOTE: As has become customary the past few years, the county council authored a letter to taxpayers explaining the  2022 budget proposal and their thoughts behind it. 

The Parke County Council wishes to provide an update on the review and adoption of the county budget for 2022.

The Parke County Council remains committed to being diligent with the taxpayer’s dollars.  We continue to look at spending levels, trying to make prudent decisions to efficiently operate the county government, while maintaining and improving the needed services to the county’s taxpayers.  We remain committed to keeping tax rates as low as possible to enable taxpayers to keep as much of their hard-earned dollars as possible, knowing that we all have limited means with which to operate.  With this being said, the council has made several difficult decisions this year which have not been taken lightly.

In 2021, the story of the year continues to be the pandemic.  The council has continued to work in lockstep with those leading the county response to COVID-19.  The council has appropriated needed funds for equipment, technology, and infrastructure to best ensure the safety of all.  We appreciate the efforts of our public safety and health personnel and thank them again for all they do.

While in 2021, the county realized lower revenues from some significant sources as a result of the pandemic, those revenues for 2022 have returned to normal.  The council found it important to not reduce critical spending during 2021 and utilized some saved reserves to maintain funding for roads, public safety, and other priorities.  Revenue forecasts for 2022 are improved over 2021 and we will again work to build some of that reserve back up to have available for the next downturn.

For the full letter, see this week’s edition of the Parke County Sentinel.