Council trims park budget lines, plans January appropriation to avoid raising levy

Henry County councilors and staff spent much of the meeting focused on the park fund and its impact on the county’s levy. Staff told the council that Baker Tilly advised the county that to "leave the levy where it's at" the park budget needed to be reduced so the top levy would be about $550,000. Council members negotiated line‑by‑line cuts to lower the park request without shifting the burden to the general fund.

After reviewing detailed receivables and transfers (including a roughly $48,000 expected revenue figure from last year that carries associated expenses), councilors agreed on a compromise: reduce the part‑time grounds crew line to $40,000 and plan an additional appropriation in January to restore roughly $50,000 from the park’s fund balance. Chair said the park has "a fund balance of nearly $300,000," giving the council room to spend down reserves this year and avoid increasing the general fund levy.

Park staff had proposed adding a full‑time position for a longtime worker and a 4% across‑the‑board raise, but council members repeatedly warned of the benefits and peripheral costs—health insurance and retirement—that come with full‑time hires. Agency official (park representative) asked the council to consider field service impacts; one committee member warned that "when you reduce a budget, the service is going to go down if you're already close to the bottom line." The council balanced those concerns by preserving most services while cutting discretionary lines (building materials, professional services, computer equipment) and scheduling the additional appropriation in January if needed.

The council recorded a unanimous consensus to proceed with the part‑time cut and the planned January appropriation; no formal roll‑call vote was recorded in the transcript. The county will revisit the park fund balances and actual receipts before any final appropriation is made.