Howell County Commission Approves Budget

The Howell County Commission approved the annual county budget on January 28. The total budgeted operating funds are just over $16 million for 2021. 
 
Presiding Commissioner Mark Collins said, “The county remains in very strong financial condition with solid revenues to support the growing needs of a growing county.”
Collins referred to the latest addition to the revenue stream: the collection of the use tax (internet sales tax) that voters approved in April 2018. Howell County began collecting the revenue in November, and according to Collins, “All four funds receiving the tax, law enforcement, general revenue, road and bridge capital improvements, and 911, have received much needed additional money in spite of the pandemic.”
 
Collins said one of the areas of county government that continues to see an increase in demand is the Howell County Prosecutor’s Office and Law Enforcement. 
 
“With the age of the Howell County Jail, and the population of the jail at capacity, and with the purchase of an additional 7-plus acres in the vicinity of the present jail, it is inevitable that changes in the Detention Center are in the future of Howell County,” added Collins.
Howell County Associate Commissioner Billy Sexton added that most of the other county budget funds were at or below last year’s budgeted expenditures. 
 
“We have a great group of county elected officials that use the money the public has entrusted them with wisely and show good stewardship of the public funds,” Sexton noted.
 
The budget process is established by law for Missouri third class counties and completed in January each year. Howell County Northern Commissioner Calvin Wood talked about the annual process and noted, “This is an accountability exercise and we, the Commission, are grateful for the continued annual cooperation of our county officials.”

Howell County News

110 W. Main St.,
Willow Springs, MO 65793
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