Possible $2.35 Tax Rate – $666,303 Found

The Jefferson Count Budget Committee met for their Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Budget Session on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 in the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse.

Following an extensive wait for a quorum, the meeting was Called to Order by Committee Chairman Griffith. Absent from Roll Call were Commissioners Blevins and Dockery. With a Motion from Committee Member Akard and 2nd from Committee Member Beeler the Minutes were Approved.

Jefferson County Director of Finance Helton and Committee Chairman Griffith informed the board that the State Certified Tax rate of $2.28 had been split in the following manner-County General Fund .85 cents-Capitol Projects .05 cents-Schools .82 cents-Debt Service .20 cents-Highway Department .20 cents and Sanitation .16 cents.

Coming into the budget negotiation, the County Departments had a $1,582,932 deficit and the School had a $1,601,427 deficit, according to information provided by Helton and Griffith. The total deficit was $3,184,359.

MOTIONS THAT WERE APPROVED

Mill/Beeler-to accept the certified tax rate of $2.28 (Carmichael No)

Baxley/Akard-split $746,400 of Hospital Reserve Funds split between the County General Fund and Schools for $373,200 each (Carmichael No)

Mills/Baxley-Defer 3 projects (repair of truck bed liner, paint courthouse and lighting for Jefferson Middle School Football Field) for a total of $180,000 from the Capitol Projects proposed budget of $848,900- as well as moving one penny from Capitol Projects (from .05 to .04 cents) and transferring that .01 cents to the school budget- covering the remainder $194,600 from fund balance. Amended to subtract another $5,000 from a Sheriff Department Project to make fund balance use $189,600. (Cureton No)

Beeler/Akard-move the above mentioned .01 cent from Capitol Projects to Schools

Beeler/Baxley-add $125,000 in revenue into sales tax line (previously projecting no growth in sales tax)

Akard/Carmichael-removal of $58,000 split between two expenditure that were incorrect

Carmichael/Beeler-allocate .05 cents for schools and .02 for County for a tax increase of .07 cents and total tax rate of $2.35 with the additional funds needed to balance the budget ( $841,890 for County and $422,227 for Schools) for the County side from fund balance. The motion was amended to move .01 cent from Sanitation to the Schools for a School deficit of $308,727 which will come from cuts, as no fund balance is available for use.

Information provided in the meeting pointed to a $666,303 assignment in the County Fund Balance for Industrial Development that was not previously discovered and could alleviate some of the budget burden. Finance Director Helton will return with more information on the availability of the funds. The budget will also be cleaned up to remove miss postings.