Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam presented the proposed budget for Christian County Government Monday morning, and it includes salary increases, money for projects and more.
The $52 million spending plan for fiscal year 2025-2026 reflects roughly four percent in projected growth, and while Fiscal Court will consider the property tax rate sometime in August, Judge Gilliam says it is his hope that they will be able to continue their trend of not taking the four percent increase to the rate.
Currently, the property tax rate for Christian County is at 17.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, and Judge Gilliam says he’s hoping the keep that rate decreasing. He says he and the Fiscal Court remain committed to no new taxes, such a Library or Ambulance Tax.
Gilliam says the proposed budget includes a four percent salary increase across the board for county employees, along with a little extra for Christian County Road Department employees.
This budget was crafted through a lengthy budget process that includes an extensive process with the Budget Committee, which three magistrates serve on. Some notable changes between this fiscal year’s budget and last year’s include increased costs for health insurance, the salary increase, and changes to the property and casualty insurance.
Judge Gilliam explained that the way they are covered has changed—now the county would be on the hook for one percent of the rebuild cost in the event of a natural disaster, which would quickly pricy.
There are several capital projects on the list of priorities in this proposed budget, including upgrades to the audio system at the Alhambra Theatre, replacing numerous HVAC systems at the Christian County Justice Center, and demolition of the old Treasurer’s Office and Emergency Management Offices on Weber Street. Judge-Gilliam says that area will likely become additional downtown parking.
The Christian County Regional Animal Shelter is also slated to get some renovation, especially to the design of the kennels, with Judge Gilliam saying they’re hoping to cut down on illness in the facility.
Funding for outside agencies increased slightly to $2.6 million in this budget. Now, the proposed budget will go before Christian Fiscal Court for a vote—if approved, it will head to the state for review, and then head back to Fiscal Court for second-reading, likely in June.