The DeWitt County Board has approved its Fiscal Year 24 budget.

DeWitt County Administrator Dee Dee Rentmeister on the WHOW Morning Show Monday told Regional Radio the budget looks great again this year even though there were some new wrinkles to the annual budget like no cash bail and added revenue thanks to the wind farm.

According to Rentmeister, the no cash bail was supposed to go into effect last year but it was held up because it was challenged in the court system. By the time it was upheld and then implemented this fall, the budget process was all but wrapped up.

The wind farm dollars are going to benefit the County. Rentmeister points out that will allow them to keep the levy steady which is already one of the lower levies in the area.

Rentmeister points out, a lot of people have the perception that budgeting dollars are flexible but most of the time, they are, in fact not that flexible. The wind farm dollars will have some flexibility attached to them but there are areas of the budget that need to be funded and funded at certain levels.

The COVID dollars that have been debated over the last few years have allowed the County to take care of things like building improvements and law enforcement investments as well as upgrades to the 9-1-1 at the County Building. 

Rentmeister continues to praise County leadership for conservative budgeting that allows the County to keep its levy low and provide vital services for its people.