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Van Buren County Approves Budget

The continuation of a sales tax will help lower property taxes in Van Buren County.

The Board of Supervisors has approved a roughly $6.7-million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The spending plan is about $400,000 smaller than the current budget.

Auditor Jon Finney says that is due, in part, to the state assuming control of certain mental health care expenses.

The property tax rate for urban residents will decrease by about six cents while the rate for rural residents will decrease by more than $0.25.

Finney says that is only possible because rural residents recently voted to make a one-cent local option sales tax permanent.

He says without that, the rural rate would have increased by about $0.60.

Finney says staffing levels will remain the same and there are no significant purchases or projects scheduled for the upcoming fiscal year.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.