Clark County Commission plans vehicle purchases, building projects

County’s 2023 general fund budget projects spending of $59.6 million.
The Clark County Municipal Courts Building in Springfield.  BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

The Clark County Municipal Courts Building in Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The Clark County Commission reviewed general fund revenue and expenses for the past year in preparation for approving the county’s budget early next year, and multiple projects have been proposed for 2023.

Part of the county’s strategic plan moving into 2023 is to improve digital access to government services, retain and attract a workforce and strengthen the county’s sales tax base, county administrator Jennifer Hutchison said at the commission’s Dec. 21 meeting.

She reviewed the 2022 budget and projected revenue and expenses for next year’s general fund.

Revenues from 2022 totaled $45 million, of which $30 million came from the county’s sales tax. Revenue in 2023 is projected to total $48.4 million.

The sales tax revenue for 2023 is projected to be $30.5 million. Clark County has a maximum sales tax rate of 7.25%, with 1.5% going to the county, and money collected from the tax makes up roughly 60% of the county’s general fund.

The county is projected to spend $59.6 million in 2023 from its budget, up from the $50.3 million spent in 2022 on expenses related to county departments, personnel and more. Included in the expense projection is an $8 million portion of the American Rescue Plan Act funding allotted to the county.

The Steps in front of the Public Safety Building in Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

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Credit: Bill Lackey

The county will also consider several capital requests from its departments for next year, which include $428,000 for vehicles the sheriff’s office, coroner’s office and other departments, the construction of a $290,000 pole barn for the Clark County Emergency Management Agency, $375,000 worth of work on elevators at the Clark County municipal building, and $15 million of courthouse remodeling.

Other requests from departments include $250,000 of work to update the jail’s mezzanine and a $125,000 upgrade to the Clark County juvenile court’s security system.

Roughly $20 million worth of capital requests were made by county departments for the 2023 general fund, Hutchison said, and the commission will decide on which projects can be funded through less than the $1 million of funds available.

The commission will approve the county’s budget, as well as its general fund, in January. The board approved a $204.1 million budget for 2022, which included a $53.1 million general fund.

The Clark County Commission oversees 10 Clark County departments with more than 100 employees, as well as the budgets of 13 Clark County elected officials.

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