Dear Bannock County Residents,
When meeting with Bannock County residents, the number one issue raised is ever-increasing property taxes. Therefore, I’m pleased to report that, in the Fiscal Year 2024 Bannock County budget, we are reducing the property tax ask (the portion of the budget financed by property taxes).
During this year’s budget process, Bannock County Commissioners Ernie Moser, Jeff Hough, and I worked with other County elected officials (particularly County Clerk Jason Dixon, who, along with his staff, provides the Clerk’s budget recommendation) and County department heads to accomplish this goal. Thanks to our effort as a team, along with strategic use of ARPA funds, PILT monies, and grants to address one-time expenses, our County taxpayers will now see a reduction in County property taxes.
County residents will not be expected to deal with reduced services, nor will our employees need to bear the full brunt of inflation. Even while reducing the tax burden on the citizens of Bannock County, we were able to make important investments in our employees’ compensation and County infrastructure. On average, Bannock County employees will see a modest increase in compensation of about 2.4%. We also added a benefit to help with hiring and retaining mechanics and addressed compensation gaps for other key positions. We committed funds to further improve the Bannock County Fairgrounds in Downey and to continue work on renovating the historic Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building.
I’m honored to be part of a team that listened to your concerns and put taxpayers first.
John Crowder
Bannock County Commissioner
District 3
***A public hearing for the proposed budget will be held Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at 11 a.m. in room 212 of the Bannock County Courthouse. Taxpayers are welcome and encouraged to attend and share their thoughts on the budget.
