Anoka County 2013 Budget Explainer
Uploaded by AnokaCountyMN on 06.12.2012
Transcript:
Hi, I'm Patti Hetrick, the Budget Director for Anoka County. Today I'm going to talk to
you about Anoka County's budget and how it affects you, the taxpayer.
First off,
everything we do at Anoka County begins with our Mission Statement; To serve citizens in a
respectful, innovative and fiscally responsible manner.
Based on our mission we have established key goals to keep tax rates low, develop a
plan to lower the county debt burden,
maintain necessary services for citizens,
invest in innovative projects, continue to have a balanced budget
and to maintain professional budget and accounting standards.
So we begin the process to develop our budget with our mission and goals at the
forefront.
The process starts in February when departments are asked to identify their
new major expenditures called
Capital Improvement Expenditures for the following year.
At the same time, departments prepare their operating budgets. These are the
funds they will need to provide services to the public.
The summer is spent refining all budget requests to arrive at the proposed budget
that is presented to the county board in September.
Property tax notices are mailed to taxpayers in November in early December
the public is invited to attend a Truth in Taxation meeting.
It's important to remember the taxes proposed by your city and school
district included in your property tax statement are not set by the county.
Every year we encourage employees to submit innovative ideas on how to make
Anoka County government more efficient.
We have several projects such as imaging to make information more readily accessible
and less labor intensive.
We train employees in a workplace philosophy called Lean Kaizen to improve productivity
and efficiency.
And we ask all departments to prioritize where their dollars are spent
so that we can be sure citizens are getting the best value for their property tax dollar.
There two major components to the budget:
Expenditures- the money needed to operate County programs and services.
And Revenue, or income that comes from sources other than taxes.
Our total our gross expenditures, the number we get before revenues are
considered are listed by function.
Everything from Human Services and Public Safety to Highways and Streets.
Another way to look at expenditures is by the operating group or object code,
such as Salary and Benefits, Contracts for road construction projects, along with
the category "Other",
which include smaller accounts like supply and utility costs.
The other side of the budget equation is Revenue, or where the money comes from before
property taxes are added in.
While property taxes are major source of income there are several others.
Much of our funding comes from the federal and state government.
Most of this money is reimbursement for services the county provides that is
mandated by state or federal government.
Many of our road and bridge projects are partially funded with federal or state
transportation dollars.
We also receive fees for services such as motor vehicle tabs,
park entrance passes
and restaurant inspections.
In addition, the county receives interest income on its investments.
The difference between gross expenditures and revenue,
plus adjustments for debt service, cashflow contingencies and local county
program aid is our Certified Net Levy.
The last step before arriving at our final levy number is subtracting our Fiscal
Disparities Distribution, which only applies to metro counties.
This final Net Tax Levy is what will be paid by all property owners via property taxes.
The amount per property is determined using a formula set by the state
multiplied by the value of your home.
So what does all this mean to you and your 2013 Anoka County property taxes?
Anoka County's total expenditures for next year will be two hundred and forty
four million dollars
If we break this down by operating group or object code you'll see the salary and
health insurance category is significant. However,
our health care costs are projected to decrease in 2013
due to the County Board's willingness to look at new coverage plans, different
vendors, and the innovative delivery of care.
The other side of the budget equation is revenues, funds we receive from other
sources and local property taxes.
In 2013,
the local property tax levy is ninety seven point five million dollars - one
million less than in 2012.
For the average Anoka County home valued at a hundred and forty one
thousand eight hundred, the homeowners share of the levy will be five hundred
and twenty three dollars.
Here's how that five hundred and twenty three dollars is divided by the services
you receive.
In other words, what are you getting for your tax dollar?
One of the biggest categories is Public Safety which receives one hundred
thirty-eight dollars. For that amount, far less than the cost of a home
security system, the Sheriff's Office patrols our communities, investigates crimes and
operates the crime lab and county jail.
This amount also includes the County Attorney's Office which oversees the prosecution of
criminal and civil cases.
One hundred thirty one dollars provides emergency food assistance and shelter
to citizens in need, protects children,
and provides a safety net for most our vulnerable people.
Seventy four dollars per year goes to build and maintain infrastructure,
such as county facilities and
information technology to better serve our citizens.
For fifty three dollars per year,
all the highways and bridges you use to travel to work, school or the grocery
store are improved and maintained year round.
Thirty nine dollars per year, Anoka County provides services to two million
online or in person library visitors
and more than ten thousand five hundred acres
of parkland in which to swim, hike and bike.
Anoka County is committed to keeping your property taxes the lowest in the state.
We are positioning ourselves for the future by investing thoughtfully and
strategically to maximize the value
of every taxpayer dollar,
loweing our debt burden and maintaining healthy reserves for the long-term.
If you'd like more detailed information check out our online budget explorer tool
at www.anoka county.us/budget.
you about Anoka County's budget and how it affects you, the taxpayer.
First off,
everything we do at Anoka County begins with our Mission Statement; To serve citizens in a
respectful, innovative and fiscally responsible manner.
Based on our mission we have established key goals to keep tax rates low, develop a
plan to lower the county debt burden,
maintain necessary services for citizens,
invest in innovative projects, continue to have a balanced budget
and to maintain professional budget and accounting standards.
So we begin the process to develop our budget with our mission and goals at the
forefront.
The process starts in February when departments are asked to identify their
new major expenditures called
Capital Improvement Expenditures for the following year.
At the same time, departments prepare their operating budgets. These are the
funds they will need to provide services to the public.
The summer is spent refining all budget requests to arrive at the proposed budget
that is presented to the county board in September.
Property tax notices are mailed to taxpayers in November in early December
the public is invited to attend a Truth in Taxation meeting.
It's important to remember the taxes proposed by your city and school
district included in your property tax statement are not set by the county.
Every year we encourage employees to submit innovative ideas on how to make
Anoka County government more efficient.
We have several projects such as imaging to make information more readily accessible
and less labor intensive.
We train employees in a workplace philosophy called Lean Kaizen to improve productivity
and efficiency.
And we ask all departments to prioritize where their dollars are spent
so that we can be sure citizens are getting the best value for their property tax dollar.
There two major components to the budget:
Expenditures- the money needed to operate County programs and services.
And Revenue, or income that comes from sources other than taxes.
Our total our gross expenditures, the number we get before revenues are
considered are listed by function.
Everything from Human Services and Public Safety to Highways and Streets.
Another way to look at expenditures is by the operating group or object code,
such as Salary and Benefits, Contracts for road construction projects, along with
the category "Other",
which include smaller accounts like supply and utility costs.
The other side of the budget equation is Revenue, or where the money comes from before
property taxes are added in.
While property taxes are major source of income there are several others.
Much of our funding comes from the federal and state government.
Most of this money is reimbursement for services the county provides that is
mandated by state or federal government.
Many of our road and bridge projects are partially funded with federal or state
transportation dollars.
We also receive fees for services such as motor vehicle tabs,
park entrance passes
and restaurant inspections.
In addition, the county receives interest income on its investments.
The difference between gross expenditures and revenue,
plus adjustments for debt service, cashflow contingencies and local county
program aid is our Certified Net Levy.
The last step before arriving at our final levy number is subtracting our Fiscal
Disparities Distribution, which only applies to metro counties.
This final Net Tax Levy is what will be paid by all property owners via property taxes.
The amount per property is determined using a formula set by the state
multiplied by the value of your home.
So what does all this mean to you and your 2013 Anoka County property taxes?
Anoka County's total expenditures for next year will be two hundred and forty
four million dollars
If we break this down by operating group or object code you'll see the salary and
health insurance category is significant. However,
our health care costs are projected to decrease in 2013
due to the County Board's willingness to look at new coverage plans, different
vendors, and the innovative delivery of care.
The other side of the budget equation is revenues, funds we receive from other
sources and local property taxes.
In 2013,
the local property tax levy is ninety seven point five million dollars - one
million less than in 2012.
For the average Anoka County home valued at a hundred and forty one
thousand eight hundred, the homeowners share of the levy will be five hundred
and twenty three dollars.
Here's how that five hundred and twenty three dollars is divided by the services
you receive.
In other words, what are you getting for your tax dollar?
One of the biggest categories is Public Safety which receives one hundred
thirty-eight dollars. For that amount, far less than the cost of a home
security system, the Sheriff's Office patrols our communities, investigates crimes and
operates the crime lab and county jail.
This amount also includes the County Attorney's Office which oversees the prosecution of
criminal and civil cases.
One hundred thirty one dollars provides emergency food assistance and shelter
to citizens in need, protects children,
and provides a safety net for most our vulnerable people.
Seventy four dollars per year goes to build and maintain infrastructure,
such as county facilities and
information technology to better serve our citizens.
For fifty three dollars per year,
all the highways and bridges you use to travel to work, school or the grocery
store are improved and maintained year round.
Thirty nine dollars per year, Anoka County provides services to two million
online or in person library visitors
and more than ten thousand five hundred acres
of parkland in which to swim, hike and bike.
Anoka County is committed to keeping your property taxes the lowest in the state.
We are positioning ourselves for the future by investing thoughtfully and
strategically to maximize the value
of every taxpayer dollar,
loweing our debt burden and maintaining healthy reserves for the long-term.
If you'd like more detailed information check out our online budget explorer tool
at www.anoka county.us/budget.