Nez Perce County Commissioners have crafted a $43.5 half million budget for 2020 that includes more money for the Lewiston airport and employee bonuses, while it pulls funding for a pair of local economic development agencies, and mandates a salary freeze for the sheriff.
The three commissioners this week upped the county’s total contribution to the airport to $631,000 or about $224,000 more than last year. Airport officials sought extra funding this year to pay for several initiatives and cover lost revenues from Horizon Air’s departure last year.
To help pay for a $100,000 project to build a new taxiway to serve the airport’s south side business park, commissioners pulled $32,000 in annual funding from Valley Vision and nearly $12,000 from the Clearwater Economic Development Association. The spending plan also includes 2.1 percent across-the-board cost of living wage increases, and a new program to provide bonuses to employees for successfully completing projects that save the county money or make operations more efficient.
Commissioners also raised property taxes by the maximum 3 percent allowed by state law, though it’s estimated the hike will actually result in a decrease because of about $130 million of market value added to the tax base this year.
Meanwhile, the move to cap Sheriff Joe Rodriguez’s salary at its current level was in response to the increased cost of liability insurance due to four potential employee complaints against the sheriff. (Lewiston Tribune)
