By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon County Council passed their 2013-2014 fiscal year budget at their last regular meeting.
The total general operating budget is $18,146,505.
The budget calls for 113 mills for the general fund and 20.5 mills for the debt service fund. There was no millage increase for general operations or debt service. This is the fourth year in a row that the county did not have to increase millage.
All fees remained the same except for the solid waste fee which went up one dollar. Some of the fees include:
—Road Maintenance Fee: $40 per vehicle license in Dillon County after July 1, 2013 (collected at the same time as vehicle taxes are paid.)
—Mobile Home License Fee: $25
—Marriage License Fee: $45
—Fire Protection Fee: $35
—Household Solid Waste Fee: $90
—Solid Waste Container box fees
—Dillon County EMS fees
—Dillon County Code Enforcement/Planning and Zoning Department fees
—Animal Shelter and Animal Control Fees
—Other Established Fees For County Services
The budget ordinance also calls for carrying over $200,000 from the fiscal years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 ($100,000 each year) budgets for installation of fire hydrants by district.
The budget ordinance states that “The Dillon County Council has concluded that all of the Capital Projects Sales Tax projects are complete. Therefore all remaining funds will be transferred to Fund 45 (Capital Projects).”
Approximately $2.1 million was left in this budget. In an interview with County Administrator Clay Young, he stated that “The council established three line items in the budget to address this change. Of 2.1 million left over, the county council set aside $611,111 toward improving sewer in the Latta area, $593,714 toward infrastructure improvements in the Lake View area, and the remaining funds to help assist the county with other water and sewer, road, fire station, economic development or some other type of capital project.”
The council also carried over $40,000 from the 2012-2013 fiscal year budget for a fire truck for the Lake View Fire Department.
The budget calls for some items that were not in the previous budget.
One of these items is school resource officers. The county funded school resources officers for the Dillon County public schools and Dillon Christian School in the amount of $170,000.
A finance director is included in the budget as well as an airport grant match.
Also for the first time, the City of Dillon received recreation money in the amount of $50,000. Latta has been getting $15,000 in recreation funds and Lake View has been getting $10,,000 in recreation funds in the past while Dillon had received nothing.
Professional services under building maintenance was increased. Code Enforcement went up $4,000 for computer equipment.
The tax assessor, auditor, treasurer, IT, Clerk of Court, Probate Judge, Solicitor’s Office, Detention Center, Animal Control, Roads and Bridges, Veterans Affairs, Council on Aging, Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Voter Registration remained the same.
The Magistrate’s Office increased by $4,000 for computer equipment, the law library increased, and the family court judge increased due to utilities. The fire department increased to cover the required physicals. Disaster Preparedness increased for a computer upgrade.
A copy of the budget may be obtained from the Dillon County Council office.
