Former auditor unhappy with Benton County budget

VINTON — Benton County Supervisors approved the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget after a public hearing April 22, but not before former Benton County auditor Jill Marlow asked a lot of questions.

Marlow told Supervisors that she spent a lot of time the day before talking with departments about their budgets. Marlow questioned the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds for communication towers and how the remaining ARPA funds will be used.

Supervisor Tracy Seeman talked about a new driveway, down payment on a new restroom at Wildcat with related electrical work and security.

Marlow also asked about spending authority for capital projects for this year and next year. “What bothers me is this budget has double digit increases in expenditures,” she said.

Legal and court-related costs have “gone out of sight,” Marlow said. She told the supervisors, “I realize that you guys have had some legal problems, but I also asked for some detail on some of those items, and I see an awful lot of money being spent on things that we should already know or that we should use our county attorney for, or that we should actually get out the Code of Iowa and read first before spending money with attorneys. And I really think that needs to be looked at.”

Marlow said that according to a new law the maximum levy for rural services is $3.87255, but the county is levying for $3.90577. “How can you do that?” she asked.

The fund balance in rural services budget has grown astronomically, said Marlow. The county should try for a 25% fund balance. The county is not supposed to be a bank, Marlow said. She feels the rural services levy can be reduced.

Marlow also looked at the general basic fund balance. She said she was dismayed in looking at the sheriff’s budget. From fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2025, the patrol budget increased by 4.7%.

Communications is increasing 24%, the jail budget by 22.5% and administration by 40%. She’d prefer to see more money spent on patrol.

Investigation increased 69%. Sheriff Ron Tippett said that investigation is done by three people now instead of two. Four patrol have been added since 2017, Tippett said.

The Sheriff’s Department has added one detective and would like to bring back a school resource officer.

Marlow said the county’s budget increased by 28.9%

Marlow said the county spent $73,840 for human resources in 2023. Now Supervisors are asking for $175,000, for an increase of 137%.

Marlow asked about information technology in the human resources budget. Part of the increase is an applicant tracking system. Marlow wondered why this was in the human resources and not in the information technology budget.

Supervisors also explained to Marlow the funding for public health related to switching to a county-based system and to an absence of a board of health for a time.

“Our taxes are going up out of sight and you guys have got to start pulling in the reins,” Marlow said.

“Budgeting is one of your most important jobs, and maybe you don’t know this budget inside and out, line item by line item, but there’s a lot of duplications in there. I could easily take out $500,000 and nobody would know the difference.”

Seeman said he wants to reduce the levies, but assessed values went up. When budgets were made, Supervisors didn’t not know what the assessed values would be.

Marlow insisted that the levy was too high.