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COLUMBUS—The Polk County Board of Commissioners called a special meeting on Monday, May, at 9 a.m. for the formal presentation of the budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Commissioners Andre Overholt, Paul Beiler, David Moore and Chairman Myron Yoder were in attendance for County Manager Marche Pittman to hand over copies of the new budget for consideration.

“There is no increase for general operations in the budget,” Pittman said of the current proposal. 

Expenditures of the proposed budget total in the amount of $50,894,119.

“This year’s process was very different. It was a collaborative effort,” said Pittman. “It was different in that everybody worked together to get a common goal, and I felt like it’s important to recognize that.”

Pittman explained to the commissioners that the proposed budget contained fee changes, particularly related to solid waste, transportation, planning and zoning, and Harmon Field.

The budget also included a packet detailing proposals from FRAC, the Fire and Rescue Advisory Committee, a volunteer group that makes fire tax rate change recommendations to the board. “There are a significant amount of FRAC increases,” Pittman told the board.

Pittman mentioned that the commissioners may want to hear from other officials about the various proposed fee changes. They plan on consulting with Polk County Fire Marshall Bobby Arledge at a future meeting regarding FRAC.

The first work session to discuss issues and changes with the new budget will be Monday, May 20, at 1 p.m., which will be followed by the Polk County Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting at 5 p.m. that day. In addition, there will be a meeting to hear citizen’s comments on the 2024-2025 budget on Monday, June 3, at 5 p.m.