Mahaska County Supervisors Discuss Funding Emergency Management

County Supervisor Meeting for November 21, 2011

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Budget debates will begin in a few months, and those looking at funding changes for the next year have started to visit the Supervisors in order to prepare for future funding.

Monday morning found Mahaska County Emergency Manager Jamey Robinson along with Mahaska County Sheriff Paul DeGeest sitting before the board as they had in the middle of October.

DeGeest outlined the recommendation of  a .10 levy versus the current form of budget revenue where each entity such as Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, or any of the other towns in the county pay $1.50 for each person residing within their jurisdiction.

Emergency Management has a budget problem currently, and the main culprit according to those closest to the situation say waiting on reimbursements from State and Federal agencies is the problem. Robinson explained that he’s received two letters from Senator Harkin’s office explaining they would have more information for him and the department within the next two weeks.

Supervisor Chairman Willie VanWeelden talked during the meeting about the proposed change in the tax structure Emergency Management will get it’s funding from. The proposed property tax levy would be set to the maximum,with talk about capping the amount of funds Emergency Management could hold in reserve. VanWeelden said that the Emergency Management Commission would look at its’ budget for the year and adjust its’ millage rate, adjusting the amount property owners would be required to pay from year to year, based upon the ending balance of the department at the end of the year depending upon carry over balances.

DeGeest explained that the Emergency Management Commission is made up of mayor and council members from around Mahaska County and is wanting to get this out there for Supervisor approval. Currently the towns within Mahaska County pay a per capita tax of $1.50 per person that lives within it’s jurisdiction. That tax would drop in favor of the property tax levy.

“That’s where we were talking about last time a ten cent levy would generate about ninety thousand dollars,” Supervisor Greg Gordy said questioning that the taxpayer burden could increase with the proposed tax.

“I think last year, not the whole budget, was figured last year correct Jamey?” VanWeelden asked Robinson. “We made a mistake in budgeting where we didn’t take into account medical insurance.”

Gordy said to VanWeelden “At a dollar and a half per capita that doesn’t come into play with any of that.”

“Where they’re at, they’re short on reimbursement. I guess the thinking of the [Emergency Management] commission is, let’s get this thing back up to where there’s money in the account. And then we done the go to next year with the reimbursement’s comings and they have money then I think that levy could very well come down. We have to establish some money in the fund,” Van Weeldon said.

Gordy chimed in. “It could, but taxes don’t usually come down just like everybody knows very well that.”

“It’s in our power to do that,” Rozenboom and VanWeelden both said in response to Gordy’s remark.

“You just have to have the wear with all to do that,” Gordy told his fellow board members.

“I understand that, but there’s several components. Number one you’ve been underfunded for some time I believe. Number two, we’re basically going from a historically part-time to full-time position,” Rozenboom said about his thoughts on Emergency Management.

Gordy pointed towards past tax collection and said that the new levy would essentially triple the budget for Emergency Management.

“I guess I don’t think it’s fair to say we’re tripling. In one level it is, but what we’re doing is making up for past sins, partly because we haven’t funded it correctly,” Rozenboom said in responding to Gordy’s comment.

“That’s debatable,” Gordy responded.

“We either fund it or we don’t fund it,” VanWeelden said about the Emergency Management position.

Gordy was pointing out the lack of funding [$33,000.00]that has come in from the State of Iowa that was promised to help fund the position full time and would cover the expenses not covered by the per capita tax. “Now it’s not. We’re short again. It’s kind of like a Washington D.C. All these promises that keep coming up doesn’t cover it, and well now we have to do more to cover it.”

“We still get the state funds. The problem is we were suppose to start getting it back in October of 2010 and we haven’t got any of them yet [funds],” Robinson said about the funds. He explained that the funds have been allocated by the Federal Government “it’s just locked up”. Robinson explained that over the past 2 years, the grant has continued to run further behind it sending out before the money shows up.

“I guess we can not fund it and then about the first time we have a disaster  then explain that to the general public,” said VanWeelden about how the county wouldn’t be eligible for grants and funding from the Federal level because of the requirements placed on counties at the national level.

“If we’re not compliant with our plans and such, just your basic grant like the fire department, I know Osky Fire, they got new driers and new washers and new equipment, this and that. They can’t apply for any of that if we’re not compliant. Any Federal grant you have to have this department [Emergency Management] comply in order for them to get that,” Robinson explained on the changing landscape since the 9/11 attacks.

In the end, two supervisors, VanWeelden and Rozenboom voted in favor of the tax change. Greg Gordy was the dissenting vote on the proposal.