The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors reviewed several proposed department budgets for fiscal year 2021 Thursday.

The meeting began with discussion of the Information Technology budget, which Guthrie Center Communications Technology Development Director Curt Thornberry would reflect the Board’s tentative plan to hire their own IT employee, with Guthrie Center Communications handling aspects such as servers and backups and the new person handling day-to-day activities. Next, the Board discussed the County Recorder’s budget, in which they approved a motion to cap the hourly rates of part-time employees at $17.50. Environmental Health and Transfer Station Director Jotham Arber then presented his budgets, which included plans to buy a used utility vehicle for $12,500, and a request to raise the tipping fee for construction materials from $60 to $80 per ton. No action was taken on the request.

The Board then discussed the Sheriff’s Office budget, after Sheriff Marty Arganbright told the Board he’s planning to discuss the advertising plan with The Samuels Group Marketing Manager Shelley Rowe for the law enforcement center addition referendum. The Board approved last week to spend up to $3,000 on print and radio advertising, and Rowe came back with a $100 increase on that figure. For the budget Arganbright said a lot of it was the same as last year’s, except for $75,000 allocated for technology expenses including 10 new portable radios and an update for the dispatch console for the County to join the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System.

County Engineer Josh Sebern also presented the budgets for the Secondary Roads Department, Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management, and the Emergency 911 Board. For secondary roads Sebern told the Board that the total revenue is up 15% to about $6.86 million, and expenditures overall increased by $183,000 to about $6.71 million.