Budget Committee Meets For First Session In New Year

The Jefferson County Budget Committee met for their first session in the new year on Monday, January 12, 2015 in the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse.

Chairman Scarlett called the meeting to order. With a Motion from Committee Member Tucker and 2nd from Committee Member Kesterson, the Minutes were Approved. Committee Member Seal made a Motion to increase the hours of the part time Commission Secretary to full time with a net cost of $12,414. His motion was 2nd by Committee Member Blevins. Committee Member Turner, seconded by Committee Member Solomon, offered an unsuccessful Amendment to define working hours as 7- 3:30 with a 30 minute lunch (2-8 with Turner and Solomon voting yes). Turner offered another unsuccessful Amendment to define the hours as 8 to 4 with exceptions made by the Chairman. The amendment was 2nd by Committee Member Beeler. The original Motion failed 6-4 with Scarlett, Gaut, Seal and Belvins voting in support.

The Committee Approved several budget amendments for both County and School side. Notable items were insurance recovery, the transfer of funs from committed expense for payment of JCHS renovation for November ($873,397) and December ($540,168), utilities incurred from Milligan Clinic after renters moved and before property sold ($953), money for pavement (already committed in the amount of $100,000), school grants and pulled bonus amendments for school system employees because the items could not be revisited as the same request.

Committee Member Seal offered an unsuccessful Motion, seconded by Blevins, to rescind remaining funding for this fiscal year for EDOC ($86,000) and the County Commission ($75,000) and put funds into reserve account for the purchase of industrial property. Commission Chairman Carmichael informed the Committee, prior to vote, that both CTAS and the County Attorney suggested that a mid fiscal year rescinding of funds could be problematic and was better addressed during the budgeting process.

Jefferson County Sheriff McCoig informed the Committee that it would cost $17,458 to complete the fiscal year with security for the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse. Committee Member Turner made a Motion to fund the request, which would be retroactive to November 10, 2014, in the amount of $17,458 and was 2nd by Solomon. Discussion on the motion centered around the need for like security in other buildings and the boundaries of the requested funding. The Motion Passed 6-4 with Gaut, Blevins, Tucker and Scarlett voting no.

In other business, Jefferson County Finance Director Potts informed the Committee that he had identified where the $145,000 (previously approved for past bond issuance) was absorbed in the Building 8 funding request. He stated that the previous motion approving the $145,000 will need to be rescinded at the next Commission voting meeting. He also informed the Committee that $124,928 for design fees that was included in the request for funding was already paid and will need to be removed from the requested amount, leaving the request for funding of Building 8 at $2,700,000 instead of the previously approved amount of $2,825,000. He stated he will bring the adjustment before the County Commission for consideration. Chairman Scarlett informed the Committee that the plan is to have the budget ready for a June vote.