Peoria County is proposing a budget for 2014 with no layoffs or major service changes. Peoria Public Radio's Alex Rusciano reports officials have concerns over dwindling state money:
County officials say sales tax revenues are improved from 2008 when the economy started to go south. But they say that since then, the county has collected hundreds of thousands of fewer dollars in Motor Fuel Tax money – that pays for upgrades to the County’s roads and bridges. The proposed spending plan in 2014 calls for more spending from fund balances to fill the motor fuel tax gap and pay for highway operations. Peoria County Administrator Lori Curtis Luther says that’s an adjustment that needs to be made:
“We will be able to continue our street maintenance and snow removal and all the services. But major road reconstruction and bridge replace, those are the two most expensive services that the County provides. And the funding stream that’s available for them is going down,” Luther says.
The rate motor fuel tax rate hasn’t been adjusted in decades. Luther says the proposed 2014 budget keeps the County’s share of the property tax rate flat. The proposed budget heads to committees then to the full county board for consideration next month.