The uncertainty after COVID along with challenges like adjustments in the court fines and fees structures and increases in minimum wage made this year's DeWitt County budgeting process exceedingly difficult.

Thursday night, the DeWitt County Board and Finance Chair Camille Redman presented the Board and the public with the budget and she says it comes with minimal tax increases in the county rate and from the ambulance services.

DeWitt County Board Chair David Newberg calls it a great budget and Redman credits Administrator DeeDee Rentmeister. Newberg also points out there are agreements with all the unions and raises in anticipation of the mandated minimum wage.

Newberg indicates this budget didn't come without its challenges and credits board member Terry Ferguson for his foresight to file the third-quarter report with the landfill.

Newberg will be in studio Friday morning to discuss the budget and many other items of discussion from the Thursday night meeting, including....

>>The Board postponed an appraisal of the 75 acres of timber on Clinton Lake. This part of the 600 acres of Clinton Lake that has been the topic of development in recent years.

>>The Board approved the purchase of laptops to be used with the CARES funding from the federal government from the COVID stimulus plan.

>>The Board set a special meeting for Tuesday evening that will take place virtually for several motions related to the Alta Farms II wind farm. Those include a motion to approve the wind farm construction observation contractor scope of services agreement, a motion to approve the building permit review contractor scope of services agreement, a motion to approve the DeWitt County insurance agreement, and a motion to approve a sound study consultant agreement.