County Mayor Jim Coppinger on Tuesday morning presented a no-tax-increase budget that raises spending by $14,276,000 to $679.6 million.
He said there were over $11 million in cuts from budget requests by county departments, constitutional offices and supported agencies.
The last county property tax increase was in 2008. The last property tax hike for the schools was 2006.
However, county officials pointed out that the schools will be getting $10.2 million in new revenue from the state BEP program and over $4 million more in growth funds from the county.
The county schools had asked $24 million in new funding above the BEP and growth increases.
County officials said the county schools plan to use $1,208,000 in fund balance to meet the budget this year.
School spending is set to rise from a base starting point of $405.68 million to $417.7 million. The county school budget has been amended to around $411 million during the current fiscal year.
The county general fund is rising from $213.48 million to $218.8 million. The debt service fund is dropping from $39.6 million to $34.8 million as county debt is paid down.
County Mayor Coppinger said there will only be one new full-time employee - a veterans services officer. He said Hamilton County had been one of only two counties in the state (the other is Lake County) without such an officer. He said state officials say local veterans may be missing out on some $12 million in benefits due to the lack of such an officer, who will be paid around $55,000. The office was budgeted at $100,000. There will initially be no support personnel because it will be housed in the human services office and utilize some of its staff.
Officials said health insurance costs are up $5.2 million.
Employee salary increases will cost $2.65 million. It will be a 2.5-percent raise with a floor of $1,250.
Spending for constitutional officers is rising from $25.1 million to $27 million.
The sheriff's office request was cut by $2 million, but its budget will still rise from $31.59 million to $33.47 million.
The assessor of property is getting an increase of $553,000 and the election office a rise of $253,000. It was noted there is an upcoming reappraisal as well as additional elections.
The Criminal Court clerk, who this year had to ask for a special appropriation to meet the budget, is getting an increase of $372,000.
The Planning Agency will get $15,000 more. The organizers of the Armed Forces Day parade were granted $15,000 instead of $10,000.
Capital outlay requests totaled $10.5 million, but only $4 million were approved.
The county fund balance will remain at over $90 million. It was at a low of $58 million in 2006 and a high of about $112 million in 2014.
A vote on the budget by the County Commission is set for June 29.