The Powder River County Commissioners finalized the 2019-20 county budget on Tuesday morning. One highlight of this year’s budget is there will be no increase in taxes for local taxpayers.

Some other highlights include: approximately $650,000 has been set aside this year for the Road Department, which will be used to hire contractors to stockpile gravel, and for rebuilding of older county roads, as well as repaving the cemetery road and nursing home parking lot.

The County paid off around $275,000 in long term debt, and plans to make some infrastructure improvements, such as sound dampening material installation at the Community Center, new panels for the arena and fair barn, a new fence at the Willow Creek Cemetery, installation of a more secure dispatch office at the Sheriff’s Department, and the potential down the road for replacement of the Little Powder Bridge, northeast of Broadus. County employees will also see a $0.25 an hour cost of living raise in their paychecks.

A major factor in funding the improvements was an increase in oil and gas revenue, which jumped around half a million dollars.

Commissioner Rod Schaffer commented on the spending: “We want to keep ahead of these projects like working on the roads, because some day we might not have the money to fix what needs fixed or update what needs updating. It’s best to keep up with maintenance and look ahead, so we’re not hurting in the future.”

The Manor and Clinic Budgets have increased. The Manor will have a backup propane heating system installed. The current coal fired system has difficulties during transitional periods, such as this spring, when the temps in May dropped down to freezing (when it snowed mid-month), and the coal fired heater needed to be fired back up. The increase in budget also has to do with the hiring of a Medical CEO.

This position will take the place of the Nursing Home Administrator, and will encompass oversight over both the Medical Clinic and the Manor. The Commissioners as well as the Medical Board felt that with the potential of a Critical Access Hospital in the works, a single administrator would better be able to handle the duties if the installations are combined.

According to Commissioner Randall, the plans for a Critical Access Hospital are very much in their infancy, so depending on funding, planning, and other factors, the hospital may never come to fruition. If it does happen, Lee says the hospital won’t be some huge new facility, costing the taxpayer a bunch of money. Instead, it will be a renovation of existing facilities at the Powder River Manor.

A breakdown of the county budget by department may be found by clicking on the accompanying link at the bottom of the page. Keep in mind when looking at the totals that the non-tax revenue generated by the departments is not included. Grants, Federal and State money, and funds generated by fees and donations total over 8.5 million dollars out of the 13.8 million dollar budget.

The county budget is available for viewing at the Clerk & Recorder’s Office.

Here's the link:

https://www.powderriverexaminer.com/home/customer_files/specialpubs/2019-20_county_budget.pdf