Ozark County budget set at $7.1 million for 2024

Ozark County Commissioners recently signed off on the 2024 county budget. The 249-page budget book details 30 funds and county offices.  

County revenue

The county’s budget includes expected revenues of $7,138,141 for the upcoming year, down from almost $8,000,000 in 2023. 

The 2024 budget revenue total is comprised of $2,359,086 cash available at the start of 2024, $560,000 in expected property tax, $1,829,171 in expected sales tax, $967,599 in intergovernmental revenues, $226,280 in charges for services, $14,980 in interest, $913,881 in other revenues and $267,142 in money transferred in.

The cash available at the beginning of 2024 is down from over $3,000,000 in 2023. Also down are intergovernmental revenues and money transferred in. In 2023, intergovernmental revenues were over $1,000,000 and money transferred in was over $393,000.

All other revenues are expected to be up slightly.

General revenue

The county’s 2024 general revenue fund has a starting balance of $512,750, with estimated revenues of $1,608,153 and estimated expenditures of $1,795,310 for a projected ending balance of $325,593.

Expenditures

In the county summary funds, the following expenses were allotted for each county office: county commission, $134,200; county clerk, $108,482; county treasurer, $62,553; county collector, $125,625; recorder of deeds, $45,478; circuit clerk, $13,700; court administration, $7,141; public administrator, $52,858; prosecuting attorney, $243,260; juvenile officer, $26,288; and county coroner, $28,899.

The budget also allows for other money for elections, $93,192; buildings and grounds, $122,350; employee fringe benefits, $9,500; health and welfare, $9,696; transfers out, $290,942; emergency fund, $48,244; and other expected expenditures of $4,800,550.

Total expenditures are budgeted at $6,428,001.

Assessed valuations

The county’s proposed assessed valuations of Ozark County real estate for 2024 is $100,000,000. That is up from 2023’s actual assessed valuations of $99,783,390 and 2022’s $93,255,700.

Personal property proposed valuations for 2024 is $40,000,000. That is also up from 2023’s actual assessed valuation of $39,247,156 and 2022’s $37,933,574.

Railroad and utilities proposed 2024 valuations is $3,000,000. That is down slightly from 2023’s actual valuations of $3,013,074 and up from 2022’s actual valuations of $2,422,438.

The total proposed assessed valuations for 2024 is $143,000,000, up slightly from 2023. The 2023 total actual assessed valuations was $142,043,620. The actual assessed valuations for 2022 was $133,611,712.

Road and bridge

Ozark County’s two road and bridge departments, east and west, have separate funds in the budget.

Road and bridge east fund, overseen by commissioner Gary Collins, has a starting balance of $580,954, with estimated revenues of $960,625 and estimated expenditures of $1,369,700 for an estimated ending balance of $171,879.

Road and bridge west fund, overseen by commissioner Layne Nance, has a starting balance of $181,079, with estimated revenues of $967,902 and estimated expenditures of $1,042,187 for an estimated ending balance of $106,794.

Law enforcement

The law enforcement fund has a starting balance of $173,557 with projected revenues of $915,888 and projected expenditures of 1,089,445 for an estimated ending balance of $0.

Revenues in 2023 were slightly higher than projected for 2024 at $1,154,658. Actual 2023 expenditures were also slightly higher than projected 2024 at $1,105,057.