Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp recently proposed a balanced budget for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year to county commissioners.
Notably, the ~$995.2 million budget (Mayor Wamp’s first while being in office) focuses on investing in public education + safety, workforce development, and initiatives to enhance the lives of citizens — without a property tax increase.
Quick look
- Career and technical education (CTE) support program | $750,000 will be allocated to cover the cost of certification + provide $7,000 sign-on bonuses for new CTE instructors in Hamilton County Schools.
- Property tax relief | Alleviating property taxes on property assessed at up to $350,000 for fully disabled veterans + lower the burden of property taxes for 4,000+ low-income seniors.
- County’s first senior center | Repurpose the old Harrison Elementary School (5637 Hwy 58) to improve the quality of life for the county’s increasingly aging population + large veteran community.
- Road improvements | Increase in the road and paving budget overall, including a $300,000 increase for road safety improvements.
- Volunteer Fire Departments | 10% increase in funds allocated to the eight volunteer stations in the county + $500,000 for new equipment — an overall increase of 30% from the previous budget.
Other notable initiatives include a focus on parks and recreation + pay increases for EMS and county employees. Get a full look — pro tip: sections GF-1 through GF-45 show the overall breakdown of the general budget.
Note: The budget is in tandem with Hamilton County Schools, which saw nearly a $100 million increase due to the state’s new TISA funding, but the proposed general budget only increased by 6.2% from 2023.
The Hamilton County Commission will vote on budget approval on Wednesday, June 21 for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins Saturday, July 1 and will run through June 30, 2024.
You can see updates + past adopted budgets to compare changes through the county’s financial transparency portal.
“My office has been working closely with our finance team and the county’s department heads since late last year to thoughtfully fund services and projects that will have the greatest impact on the citizens of Hamilton County.” — Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp