By Heather McDonald

After five attempts at amending the 2018 Portage County budget to assist with costs for the county Health Care Center (HCC), Emergency Management Services (EMS) and address elected officials’ salaries, County Board supervisors passed the budget in its original form.

Several different supervisors proposed amendments to the budget following the annual meeting and public hearing Wednesday, Nov. 1, but each amendment failed. That means the County Executive’s original $103.9 million proposed budget, which includes a 5.8 percent tax levy increase, will stand.

The $28.7 million levy results in a four-cent per $1,000 equalized value rise in tax rate for property owners, or $5.18 per $1,000. The figure translates to an increase of less than $30 per year for residents with property valued at the county median of $151,700.

About three quarters of the county residents who spoke during the annual budget hearing addressed the shortfall in funding for the county Health Care Center and others spoke to requests for reimbursement for contracting with private agencies for EMS in the towns of Grant and Belmont.

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