Ross County — The commissioners passed their budget for 2025 on December 30th. I asked Ross County Auditor Jeff Lehner for some details on it. He responded:
- It is a $36.4 million balanced budget, with county operations financed without any reliance on the prior year’s cash carryover.
- There is a $19.6 million unencumbered cash carryover, up from a $18.4 million carryover a year ago.
- It includes a $1.3 million Ross County general fund property tax cut – approximately $25 per $100,000 assessed value for Ross County homeowners.
- The commissioners are planning significant Courthouse renovations beginning later this year that are not yet budgeted, with details for their financing to be worked out in the months ahead. There will be significant expenditures associated with the project – roughly $8 million in total – which the Commissioners can comment on as they develop the finance plan.
Commissioner Dwight Garrett, in his last session, said the budget will rise a little because of revisions for cost of living and other factors, which should happen early in the new year. He said last year’s budget was about $35M.
Over the New Year break and while returning from Arizona, Lehner also wrote:
“A balanced county budget that includes a lower property tax rate is an unqualified win for Ross County taxpayers and I’m proud to have worked with the Treasurer and Commissioners to deliver on these promises.
“My highest personal priority for the year ahead will be to help maintain fiscal discipline in order to extend the tax cut another year. Ross County continues to enjoy a strong financial position and I think we have a shared consensus around putting taxpayers first in our respective roles moving forward.”
Lehner has made strong statements towards fiscal restraint in light of a solid county treasury. In one instance, in the July “Disagreements Over Levy Requested by Ross County Children’s Services,” he stated:
“The County currently projects a $21 million carryover into 2025 with an additional $5 million currently earmarked as savings without a specific purpose. Under these circumstances I can’t possibly support asking Ross County taxpayers for more. If anything, they should pay less next year in light of this still-growing surplus.”
The Ross County Auditor’s office has a website and Lehner maintains a Facebook page for it.
