Aurora officials shorten opt-out time for 5 years

PLANKINTON — Aurora County commissioners chose to shorten the length of their $400,000 annual opt-out of the state property tax freeze from 10 to five years Tuesday.

County Auditor Susan Urban said commissioners cited that many school districts choose five years for an opt-out term as part of the reason for the change. The county board had until Thursday to adjust the opt-out.

“They thought it was more palatable to taxpayers,” she said.

Last week, commissioners approved the opt-out to repair roads, replace bridges and upgrade equipment.

The county is two years behind in completing most chip-seal projects, bridge replacements and equipment upgrades, Highway Superintendent Larry Falk has said. Snow removal costs and flooding — which created a need for repairs to roads — consumed funding for some projects.

County Commissioner Delayne Persson, of rural Corsica, said last week the county cut two full-time staff in the highway department the past three years, but that move didn’t make much of a difference. “We are always going to be short every year,” he said.

Persson pointed out the county doesn’t have to use the extra funds each year.

“We have that available if worse comes to worse,” he said.

As a result of Tuesday’s change, the county board approved transferring $350,000 from cash reserves in the general fund to the highway department’s preliminary budget for 2011, Urban said.

Commissioners reduced supplies and fuel to lower the proposed highway department budget from $1.35 million to $1.34 million, she said. The elimination of county employees’ raises also contributed to the decline.

The change in opt-out length will require Urban to send a revised public notice to local newspapers next week. She said the new deadline for gathering signatures on a petition to force a public vote on the opt-out will be Aug. 11.

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