Butler County budget update: commissioners review proposed trims, salary study and mill-levy path

County administration presented a third revision of the fiscal-year budget and told commissioners they can trim roughly one quarter of a mill from the draft while remaining above the revenue-neutral rate. County staff said updated projections include $100,000 in additional EMS fee revenue and a $66,000 request for an additional training lieutenant in emergency services. Staff proposed targeted reductions, including roughly $9,000 in community development and smaller cuts in information technology, emergency management and communications capital, and a partial trimming of Road and Bridge budget lines. The proposed changes would reduce the draft mill levy to about 29.625 (versus last year’s approximately 29.880) and remain above the county’s revenue-neutral rate of 28.37. Staff noted the salary study remains a central uncertainty. The consultant is scheduled to present updated recommendations to staff on Monday; commissioners said they need the salary-study output to finalize decisions. Staff reported a salary “pot” for market adjustments equal to roughly 2.5 percent of payroll, estimated at $2.5 million (staff and commission characterized that as the current planning envelope). The presentation also covered fire-district mill levy scenarios. Towanda Fire District requested county assistance as it considers building a new station; staff proposed setting Towanda’s estimated levy at 6.5 mills in the county’s worksheet to produce approximately $80,000 per year toward building costs, while retaining the county’s role in holding those funds in a county building account until plans are finalized. Commissioners scheduled a public budget hearing and R & R (valuation/levy) meeting for Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. in the commission chambers, and two additional regular meetings before final adoption. Commissioners directed staff to return with more detail on salary-study scenarios and the budget tables before finalizing the mill levy; no final budget adoption occurred today. The board also approved county warrants and vouchers at today’s meeting: commissioners approved total warrants of $911,334.60 on a 5–0 vote.