MORGANTOWN — The Monongalia County Commission approved a $35,782,622 budget for fiscal year 2019-’20 on Wednesday based on a further reduction in the county’s levy rate.
Pending state approval, this will be the second year running that the commission has lowered its levy rate — from a Class I (base) levy rate of 12 cents per $100 in the 2017-’18 fiscal year, to 11.88 in the current budget, to a proposed base rate of 11.75.
While the Class I property designation formerly used for farmland and agricultural property has been phased out, it still represents the base rate.
The other classes are multiples of that base. The levy rate for Class II property will be 23.5 cents on every $100, and 47 cents on every $100 of Class III and IV properties.
Class II property is owner-occupied. The Class III and IV designations pertain to rental properties located in a municipality (III) or the county (IV).
Commissioner Sean Sikora said Monongalia County was one of only five counties to lower levy rates for the current fiscal year and currently has the third lowest rate in the state.
“I think we’re showing the public that we’re being very good stewards of their dollars,” Sikora said.
The county’s $35,782,762 proposed budget represents a 1.59 percent increase over the $35,142,781 budget approved this time last year.
The spending plan estimates $8 million in carryover, nearly half of which comes from a $3.5 million contingency fund. That represents 10 percent of the budget, which is the maximum the county can carry.
“This budget has a fully funded contingency account for the first time that I’m aware of in Monongalia County,” Sikora said.
The budget also includes $1.4 million in grant funding in response to approximately $1.7 million in agency requests.
The new budget and levy rate will take effect July 1.
The commission also:
Heard proclamations recognizing March as American Red Cross Month and April as Fair Housing Month.
Approved a request by the City of Morgantown to use the courthouse square on May 18 for the Gene Vance Jr. Armed Forces Day celebration.
