In a 4-1 vote, Brown County Commissioners approved the 2012/2013 fiscal year budget and increased tax rate in a special called meeting on Friday.

Commissioners adopted the new property tax rate of 0.5350 per $100 valuation for 2013.  The total tax rate is made up of rates for three different funds:  0.4239 general fund, 0.0347 debt service, and 0.0764 road and flood tax rates.  The total is an effective increase of 4.92% over last year’s rate of 0.5169.  The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the new tax rate is $11,428,034 including new property added to the tax rolls.

Brown County Commissioner Precinct 2 Joel Kelton voted against approval of the proposed budget and tax rate.   At a previous meeting, Kelton said that he was concerned about the 2% pay increases included in the budget and explained that he felt it was not justified in a year when the budget was tight.

Commissioners unanimously approved compensation for elected county officials to remain the same as the previous year budget.

In a separate agenda item, commissioners approved funding $120,000 for road and asphalt work to be completed in various locations in Precinct 3.