Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Bessemer — In unanimous action last week, the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the county’s 2023-24 budget, totaling $8,746,009.
The vote followed a public hearing that drew no comment.
Chairman James Lorenson, under questioning of Commissioner Joseph Bonovetz, added that the county also had not received any written queries from the public.
“This budget is the result of two committee meetings that were open to the public,” said Lorenson.
Public safety is a large component of the budget, with the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office allotted $2,125,673.
Various components of public safety include emergency management, snowmobile law enforcement, marine law enforcement, the new school liaison program, and Bessemer/Wakefield patrols.
The new budget for the Gogebic-Iron County Airport will be $118,099 for operating costs and $15,000 for capital outlay.
The Animal Control budget is noted as $128,308 with an additional allotment of $8,594 to HOPE Animal Shelter.
Court costs for offices of the prosecuting attorney, the drug court, consolidated courts and the jury commission total $952,579. A separate allotment for the Friend of the Court also is listed as $85,000, and $10,000 is marked as law library funds.
Budgets for offices of the county clerk, county treasurer, equalization and county administrator are listed, respectively, as $213,534, $175,318, $168,534 and $135,497.
The Western U.P. Health Department will receive $126,042, and the Gogebic County Community Mental Health Authority will get $117,500. North Care Network will get $24,306.
Building and grounds is budgeted for $276,782.
Beyond employee wages in each department also are retirement costs and hospitalization insurance, which are budgeted, respectively, as $1,102,303 and $839.179.
The Gogebic County Cooperative Extension Office will receive $40,420, and the county’s Fair Board will get $17,500.
Projected revenues for the 2023-24 budget equal the designated appropriation total. Revenue sources include a wide spectrum, including — but not limited to — taxes, grants, state revenue sharing, rents, licenses, fines and fees, and investments and interest.
The action to approve the budget came at the recommendation of the board’s Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Committee, which met directly before the regular board meeting on Sept. 27.
In other news, the board also voted to approve budget amendments totaling $130,922.56, as recommended by the finance committee, and to adopt 2024 special revenue funds.
