County attorney pushes back on budget cuts

MT. PLEASANT — As Henry County looks hard at making budget cuts in response to House File 718, County Attorney Darin Stater asked supervisors to consider how they make these cuts.

With an understanding that each county department will need to make significant budget cuts thorough out the next three to five years to move their property tax levies from $4.83 per $1,000 taxable valuation to $3.50 per $1,000 per taxable valuation, Stater met with supervisors to discuss cuts he is prepared to make for the next fiscal year.

Some of these cuts included letting go of a temporary part time position, decreasing their stationary budget by 20%, eliminating some periodical subscriptions, no longer offering drug testing kits, limiting in-person trainings cost by 40%, and a 20% decrease of education training.

According to Stater, call the cuts made to the county attorney budget equals $19,800, but the supervisors urged him to find more ways to make cuts.

“So, we’re almost at 4% already,” Stater said.

Stater stated that his understanding was that the supervisors asked him to make 12% worth of cuts.

When Stater asked if they wanted him to make more than 12% worth of cuts to his budget, Supervisor Marc Lindeen informed him “Truthfully, yes.”

Supervisor Greg Moeller then reminded Stater that these cuts were county wide.

“I understand all departments,” Stater said. “What I’m going to suggest is perhaps your cuts shouldn’t be front loaded, nor should you start at the top of public safety.”

The meeting did not end with Stater and the supervisors seeing eye-to-eye, as he restated his stance as he suggested they “first triage those cuts. Make the cuts you need to make while still preserving the important parts of it.”

“Every department tells us the same thing that they’re not replaceable,” Moeller said.

“But it is your job to figure out who is replaceable and who is not,” Stater countered. “I’m not accepting that across the board everybody is the same. Everybody knows that’s not true.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com