Iron County passes 2025 year budget

By PAMELA JANSSON

pjansson@yourdailyglobe.com

Hurley — The Iron County Board of Supervisors approved on Tuesday evening a resolution that acknowledges a 2025 fiscal year budget of $21,438,349.

The action followed a public hearing that drew no public comment and included some final tweaks of the numbers.

The motion included a millage rate of 4.07 that will result in levy of $6,034,357 being collected in 2025.

Board member Roxanne Lutgen said the new millage rate is actually 33 cents lower than the previous one due to a change in fair value of county property.

Board Chairman Larry Youngs added that the actual millage rate will vary depending on the town or city in which each county taxpayer lives.

The chairman also thanked Wolff, Lutgen, other Finance Committee members and county clerk Christan Brandt for working in recent months to make the new budget a reality.

In related news, board members also approved allocating $25,000 toward a study of county employees’ wages and benefits.

“I think we should do it because nobody here knows where we are,” said Youngs regarding the full status of employees.

He said that an independent study could provide the county with “a baseline” from which to operate.

Wolff said that the perspective on wages and benefits differs, depending on who is judging. “If you’re a taxpayer, we pay too much,” he said regarding staff compensation. “If you’re an employee, we don’t pay you enough.”

He added that the board will need to decide the “parameters” and “desired outcome” of the study.

In other news, board members also:

— Heard Mercer Public Library director Julia Pusateri request the board to consider in 2025 providing a higher allotment to Mercer and Hurley libraries in relation to the county’s obligation to cover the expense of residents outside of those districts who use library services without paying the related taxes that Mercer and Hurley residents do.

— Approved the appointment of Steven Finco to a three-year term on the Iron County Board of Adjustment.

All votes were unanimous with board members William Thomas and Mario Loretti absent.

Due to the holiday season, the board’s next regular meeting will be out of sequence from its normal timing on the last Tuesday of the month. Instead, the next meeting will be on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. in the board room of the Iron County Courthouse.