BOC approves budget, tax rates

Madison County commissioners officially adopted the $14.2 million county budget for 2009, down $850,000, or 5.6 percent, from the 2008 budget of $15 million.

The 2009 budget for the Madison County government did not require a tax rate increase from the BOC. In fact, the BOC plans to reduce revenues from property taxes by $146,000, from $7.58 million in 2008 to $7.44 million in 2009.

The commissioners met repeatedly in the closing months of 2008 to discuss the county budget, shaving roughly $750,000 off initial budget estimates.

Meanwhile, the county school system kept its tax rate for general operations steady at 16.99 mills in 2009. However, the school board had to issue a separate tax for debt retirement in 2009 to cover ongoing payments on Danielsville Elementary School. The bond tax of .826 mills will generate roughly $570,000.