The Linn County Board of Commissioners adopted a $215,343,477 budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year at its June 29 meeting.
The budget had previously been approved by the Budget Committee headed up by chair Jennifer Stanaway, vice chair Kerry Johnson, Mellissa Barnard and the commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker.
The budget includes a General Fund of $46.5 million.
A permanent tax rate of $1.2736 per $1,000 of property value was adopted as was the Law Enforcement Levy of $2.83 per $1,000 of property value.
A 10-year levy of 19 cents per $1,000 of property value used to help build the Edward C. Allworth Veterans Home has been paid off.
Also adopted the Extension Service District budget of $1,000,191 and a tax rate of 7 cents per $1,000 of property tax valuation.
In other business, the commissioners:
– Recognized Kim Grooms, who has retired after 24 years as the Linn County Veterans Services officer. She was presented with a plaque by Chairman Nyquist.
– Amended a loan agreement with the Road Fund from $10 million to purchase the former International Paper mill in Millersburg to $4 million due to a $6 million payment from the Oregon Department of Transportation.
– Approved an agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation to assist with the operation of the Linn Shuttle, Sweet Home Dial-A-Bus and Lebanon Dial-A-Bus programs.
– Approved an ODOT grant from the Special Transportation Funds program totaling almost $300,000 for the Lebanon and Sweet Home Dial-A-Bus programs, Linn Shuttle, COG Senior/Disability Services, Volunteer Caregivers, Oregon Mennonite Residential Services, Sunshine Industries Unlimited and Albany Call-A-Ride.
– Approved the purchase of an above-ground steel fuel tank for the Road Department’s Sweet Home unit at a cost of $105,040.
– Finalized the sale of the following county-owned properties: 3016 Main St., Sweet Home, $122,000 to Single Unit LLC; 33826 Totem Pole Road, Lebanon, $110,000 to Nicholas Chaney; three acres at intersection of I-5 and Grand Prairie Road, Albany, $35,000 by Single Unit LLC.
– Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer