TRG

After a lengthy meeting last Wednesday morning, the Clark County finance committee settled on new reimbursement rates for Clark County libraries that will prevent several county libraries from experiencing a dramatic reduction in their budget from 2024 to 2025. In September, the county finance committee had proposed reimbursing Clark County circulations at 90% and Marathon County circulations at 25% for the upcoming budget year. That is a change from 85% for Clark and 70% for Marathon in 2024. After much discussion, Wednesday’s finance committee meeting settled on 85% reimbursement for Clark County circulations and 45% reimbursement for Marathon County circulations. Overall, the county would be spending nearly the same amount on libraries in 2025 as in 2024, with a difference of $25.52 between the two budget years (2025 being less).

Tribune-Phonograph

Although the amount of general operating revenue and community service funds will increase significantly this school year, the Abbotsford School District’s overall property tax levy will be virtually identical to what it was in 2023-2024 as the result of action taken at Monday’s annual meeting. Electors at the annual meeting approved an operating levy of about $1.4 million with a mil rate of $8.91 per thousand dollars of equalized value. When rounded to a full dollar amount, the mil rate is exactly the same as last year, but when extended to a long decimal, the rate actually drops by 23 centers for $100,000 of property value.

The Thorp Courier

The School District of Thorp received grim news from its technology department during the Board of Education’s regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 16. Barb Thidemann, the district’s technology director, told the board her department is grappling with a host of issues stemming from failing technology.

This week, Northwestern Bank, a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago awarded Aroma Café $15,000 through the Community First® Accelerate Grants for Small Businesses.