Budget Committee Faces $2.3 Million Deficit As Department Requests Roll In

The numbers are in and the Jefferson County Budget Committee got its first look at funding requests for the 2016/17 fiscal year, on Tuesday evening. Uncontrolled expenses, such as recent salary increases for County employees and costs associated with benefits, coupled with departmental “additional needs”, which includes everything from vehicles to additional employees and equipment, brought the total deficit to $2,340,326. That number does not reflect any funds that might roll over from the current budget and is an inclusive wish list of wants and needs for the County side of the budget. The Department of Education numbers are not included in that figure.

Tuesday evening, the Budget Committee did not address the County department requests, as they were still focused on the non profit portion of the budget. Three non profits, the Boys & Girls Club, Humane Society, and Senior Health Assistance, had all requested funding from the County. Both the Boys & Girls Club and the Humane Society were funded in the current budget and both requested increases for the next fiscal year. Senior Health Assistance was not funded in the current budget. Though an amendment was offered to increase the funding for the Boys & Girls Club for the next fiscal year by $20,000 for a total of $80,000 it failed to find favor and the motion for funding was approved at the current year’s level of $60,000.

The Jefferson County Humane Society, too, found their funding level unchanged from the current year’s budget, despite a request for an increase for the next fiscal year. They will received $70,000 in funding. The Committee declined to fund Senior Home Assistance.

Funding for the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and EDOC had been rolled to Tuesday’s meeting. However, the additional time for consideration did not result in a consensus on the Committee. Five motions were offered regarding funding of EDOC and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and, though all were close, none found favor with the Committee. EDOC is requesting an additional $100,000 in funding for the next fiscal year, which would bring their funding allocation to $280,000. The Chamber of Commerce is requesting $65,000, which is down from the current allocation of $165,000. Both EDOC and the Chamber of Commerce are funded from Hotel/Motel Tax, which must be used for economic development. The Chamber has requested any additional funds, beyond their own and EDOC’s allocations, that may come in from the Hotel/ Motel Tax. Projections do indicate that there will likely be an increase in Hotel/ Motel Tax that would be in excess of the requests from the Chamber and EDOC. A portion of the Committee expressed desire to set aside funds that might be used for future industrial development and there was discussion of earmarking Hotel/Motel Tax money in excess of Chamber and EDOC allocations for that purpose. However, no motion regarding Hotel/Motel Tax was approved.

The Committee reviewed Capitol Improvement Requests for the 2016/17 fiscal year. The total requested amount came in just under $1 million dollars and included $746,205 for clean up and renovation of the Department of Education Building. Committee Members pulled the DOE building from the proposal, pending firm numbers for the project. They approved $240,00 in funding, which is a 4% cut from the balance of the request, which came in at $252,366.

In other action, the Committee Approved $5,000 each to the 4th Judicial Drug Court and White Pine Senior Center for the movement of two donated portable units(one each) from Jefferson County High School. The Committee also approved several County and School side budget amendments.

Source: K. Depew, News Director