Residents will see no county tax increase in 2019.

The county commissioners unanimously approved a final 2019 budget with expenditures in the amount of $65.2 million during their Thursday meeting.

The county millage rate will remain at 27.626 mills. A mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.

The largest expenditure in the new county budget continues to be the prison, at $12.4 million, said commissioners Chairman Leslie Osche.

Osche said she is pleased that while spending at the county has increased slightly at 1.5 percent, the total assessed value of properties in the county, which denotes the county's growth, has increased by 1.7 percent.

“The budget (expenditures are) not outpacing our growth,” she said.

The new budget reflects a spending increase of just $753,326 over the current year's $64.5 million budget.

The 2019 fund balance is projected to increase from the current $3.5 million to $4.2 million as well.

Debt service is also down in the 2019 budget due to the payoff this year of a 2006 bond, but payment on the principal for a 2014 bond issues has increased 30.6 percent, from $2.3 million to $3 million.

County contributions to Butler County Community College will rise by $80,600 in 2019, and the contribution to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport will increase from $80,000 to $155,000.

“We've been able to make some investment in other places, particularly the airport, that we haven't been able to do in the past,” Osche said.

Commissioner Kim Geyer said many individuals were responsible for the commissioners' ability to produce a sound 2019 budget.

“We really appreciate all the cooperation and help of all the row officers and department heads,” Geyer said.