County board approves 2014-2015 budget

The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a 2014-2015 county budget. 

Under the budget, the levy rate will be $8.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for rural residents, which is the same as last year.  In-town residents will have a levy rate of $6.41 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which is 14 cents less than last year.

A crowd of around 20 people attended MOnday's budget hearing, but none of them spoke.

The budget includes funding for several non-profit organizations and governmental boards and commissions.  The proposed budget includes a 2.5 percent increase in wages for union employees and a 3 percent increase for non-union, non-elected employees.  The county compensation board recommended a six percent pay increase for non-union elected county officials, but supervisors reduced that increase to five percent.