By RANDALL ALLEN

Horizon Reporter

CELINA-Clay County Commissioners were presented with current wheel tax numbers, approved a host of budget amendments in preparation for an upcoming budget vote, reduced speed limits on a pair of local roads, and added two new paid holidays for employees at their June meeting last week.

According to a copy of current wheel tax figures obtained by the HORIZON, as of June 24, 2024, $252,829.58 was collected in total over the past year.

The information showed $84,192.25 was allocated to the general fund, $74,079.07 was allocated to the jail, and $94,558.26 was allocated to the debt service for the jail.

According to the document, from years 2020 through 2024, $2,368,957.11 has been collected, with a breakdown as follows:

• $788,862.70 was allocated to the general fund,

• $694,104.46 was allocated to the jail, and 

• $885,989.96 was allocated to the debt service for the jail.

Speed limits, new holidays

Commissioner Bryan Coons made a motion to reduce the speed limit on Pricetown Road to 30 miles per hour (MPH), commissioner Austin Smith seconded the motion, and it passed 9-0.

The speed limit on Amos McClerran Road was reduced to 15 MPH.

The motion was made by commissioner Jennifer Ritter, seconded by commissioner Dorothy Forney, and passed 9-0.

Coons also made a motion to approve adding Good Friday and Juneteenth National Independence Day as paid holidays for the Clay County Highway Department.

Commissioner Jeff Gentry seconded the motion, and it passed 9-0.

Amendments

County legislators also approved several budget amendments by 9-0 votes during their June meeting.

Two amendments to the Public Works Fund, two to the Clay County General Purpose School fund, one to the Clay County General fund, one to the Clay County Courthouse Jail Maintenance fund, and one to the Clay County Solid Waste fund were approved for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Commissioner Liz Boles was not present for the meeting.

Aug. budget vote coming

As reported last week, budget meetings ended prior to last week’s regular meeting and numbers are being calculated by finance clerk Donna Hamilton in preparation for a vote to potentially be taken on August 12.

“We are working on preparing the official budget for public review and will have it done by the end of July,” Hamilton said in the June 26 edition of the HORIZON.

There will be one more county commission meeting prior to the expected August budget vote, and it will be held next Monday, July 8.