HERMANN — Gasconade County administrators came to work this week in an atmosphere not felt before — beginning the 2024 operating budget process with at least $1.5 million as a starting point.

The County Commission is schedule to spent parts of most days this week crafting the county’s spending blueprint. A public hearing was held as part of last week’s session Thursday to kick off the process. County Clerk Lesa Lietzow, the county’s chief budget officer, noted that all budget request documents have been distributed to the various departments of county government. Those agencies’ formal requests are scheduled to be back in her office by noon Friday so they can be prepared for consideration by the County Commission when it convenes Monday, Jan. 8.

The county’s enviable starting point in the budget process is attributed to strong performance during 2023 by mostly the General Fund Sales Tax, which set a fourth consecutive mark for record revenue, a overly productive Use Tax, and a healthy showing by the county’s Law Enforcement Sales Tax (LEST), which is shared 75-25 with five of the counties’ six municipalities. The LEST, which amounts to more than $800,000 for the county, will supplement the amount of General Fund revenue appropriated to the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department.

Meanwhile, there is another little-noticed source of revenue for the county that also has performed well during the year — the state’s Motor Fuel Tax, which is shared with counties and cities. The 2023 amount allocated to Gasconade County was $818,611. The allocation includes the state’s sales tax on fuel, which has been increased by 2.5 cents per gallon and will continue to see a similar increase during the next two or three years; a portion of the fees assessed to automotive title activity; and a portion of the state sales taxes paid on the purchase of vehicles.

This particular source of revenue has been growing significantly during the past six years. The 2023 amount of $818,611 compares to the 2022 total of $712,481.

As part of her report during the public hearing, Lietzow noted that annual cost-of-living pay raises will be figured at 3 percent — “as a starting point,” the county clerk said — plus the additional 5-cent-per-hour bump for each year employed with the county.

County administrators still don’t know what to anticipate regarding revenue from the county’s 3-percent sales tax on marijuana sales. As of this year’s end, county officials still have no indication from the Missouri Department of Revenue of how the county’s only marijuana retailer — CODES in Hermann — will be filing its sales payment – monthly, quarterly or annually.

County Treasurer Mike Feagan told the Commission that in check with other counties he found that some already have starting receiving their revenue while others know little more than Gasconade County knows. “We can very well find out in January,” Feagan said, which would indicate a quarterly payment, considering the tax became effective Oct. 1.