Supervisors approve budget, agree to send letter in support of Girl Scout camps

by Bob Beach

During its regular meeting Monday, March 11 the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing regarding the County’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The $14,454,112 budget includes an increase in the General Supplemental levy to $2.0316 per thousand in taxable valuation, up from $1.88351 last year, and an increase in the Rural Basic levy to $3.81482 per thousand, up from $3.67.963 last fiscal year. The General Basic levy remains at $3.50 per thousand, the maximum allowed, and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities levy will decrease to $.96326, down from $1.15210 to the new state-mandated per-capital maximum. Hearing no comments from the public, the Board approved the budget as presented.
The Board met with Edna Haskovec of Waukon, who asked the Board to send a letter to the Girl Scout Council of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois to express support for keeping Camp Tahigwa and three other eastern Iowa Girl Scout camps open. Haskovec told the Board that the property committee of the Girl Scout Council recommended the closure and sale of the camps for financial reasons and that the Council is scheduled to vote on that recommendation March 28. The Board agreed to send a letter supporting keeping the camps open. Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Jannett said that the Conservation Board would likely be willing to send a letter of support as well.
The Board also met with Allamakee County Engineer Brian Ridenour, who presented the Board with bids for two road projects. On Ridenour’s recommendation, the Board approved the sole bid from Mathy Construction of $4,606,275.12 for the asphalt resurfacing and shoulder widening of County Road X-52 from Harpers Ferry South to Highway 76 (part of the Mississippi River Trail project) and the low bid of $226,177 from Brennan Construction for the replacement of Irish Hollow Bridge.
In other business, the Board appointed Jeanie Carroll, former Allamakee County E-911 Director, to a five-year term on the Conservation Board. The Board also accepted the final audit report from Hacker, Nelson & Company, CPAs and canvassed the results of the special mayoral election held in Lansing Tuesday, March 5.
During last week’s meeting, Monday, March 4, the Board voted unanimously to appoint Doug Mullen to the Board of Adjustment to fill the unexpired term of Carlton Larsen, which ends at the end of this year. The omission of that appointment from The Standard’s report on last week’s meeting was unintentional.