Mahaska County Preparing Budget For 2021-2022

Mahaska County, Iowa – County officials will be meeting to discuss their budget needs for the 2021-2022 budget year during the coming month.

The fiscal year ends June 30th and begins on July 1st; budgets have to be submitted to the State of Iowa and certified in March.

Health insurance is one of those budget items that will put the most significant pressure on the upcoming budget.

“You have to stay within our means,” Groenendyk said of the upcoming budget.

Extra expenses, like the courthouse HVAC needing replaced, means funds have to be added to that account for that purpose. The boilers rusted through last year, and now the steam pipes are rusting through, causing damage to sheetrock, among other things. “So we’re trying to, without going into debt, limp by for the next five or six years to have enough money put away.”

The county is self-insured for health insurance, and the fund balance is currently on the low end of what is generally on hand. “We might have to tweak it a little bit; we don’t know. The more stable you can keep things, always, the better.”

There is some question about how the pandemic will impact sales tax and gas tax revenue, and if those funds may come in lower than projected.

When it comes to COVID-19 and the county’s cost, Groenendyk says there has been an infusion of CARES Act money to help with some of the expenses.

Groenendyk thanked the public for being patient in regards to county services and meetings during COVID-19. “I appreciate your willingness to work with us, and it’s been a collaborative work between everybody.”