Wood County commissioners will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse in Quitman on the proposed FY2021 budget.

Commissioners have proposed a slight decrease in the property tax rate from 55.5 cents per $100 valuation to 55.25 cents.

Projected expenditures are $26.7 million with expected revenues of $23.4 million, which would reduce the county’s fund balance from $18,475,862 to $15,104,023.

The difference is primarily one-time expenditures which include $1.5 million for a new tax office building, $755,000 for additional road and bridge equipment and $800,000 for hot mix asphalt for road and bridge.

There is also $110,000 set aside for additional grants from unclaimed capital credits.

The county funneled UCC monies for local business relief through the Wood County Economic Development Commission.

General fund revenues of $17.5 million include $11.5 million from property taxes plus $1.5 million from delinquent taxes and $2.2 million from sales taxes.

The county also plans to collect $1,247,350 in charges for services, with the county tax assessor-collector projected to bring in $580,000 and the county clerk $330,000.

Road and bridge revenue is $5.8 million and includes $4.6 million in property taxes. The county road and bridge fee on vehicle licenses brings in a projected $445,000 and motor vehicle registrations another $360,000. Court fines generate $292,000.

On the expenditure side, the sheriff’s department is by far the largest with expected expenses of $3.5 million on the law enforcement side and $2.5 million on the jail operations.

That includes $3 million for salaries and benefits for law enforcement and $2 million for corrections.

Other department expenses include county judge-$271,614; county clerk $560,751; economic development $266,069; district court $620,268; district clerk $373,930; the justices of the peace $224,089, $227,523, $218,827 and $176,992; district attorney, $920,015; elections $274,927; county auditor, $489,427; county treasurer $183,014; county tax collector, $804,237; information technology $896,730; buildings and grounds $2,039,019 including $1.5 million for the new building; human resources $140,493; courthouse security $383,519; fire protection $462,000; emergency management $123,283; environmental $86,775; constables $85,095, $89,001, $85,043 and $117,876 including $32,000 for a vehicle; juvenile probation $307,360; indigent health $127,056; extension service $158,190; and $84,500 for the Lake Hawkins RV park and $80,000 for the four county lakes.

Expenses for the road and bridge precincts include Prec. 1, $2,158,282; Prec. 2, $1,415,270; Prec. 3, $1,614,456; and Prec. 4, $2,185,215.

Numerous other funds for things like records preservation and court technology are also included.

The entire proposal can be viewed on the county’s website, mywoodcounty.com.