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Deficit budget

On the second of two votes, the only one that really mattered, the Fayette County Board on Tuesday approved a budget for the current fiscal year.
But, because of the fact that it’s a deficit budget, many of the board members, even those who voted for it, continued to voice concerns about the county’s financial situation.
That budget has revenues projected at $4,160,554 and expenditures at $4,660,355.17, creating a deficit of $499.801.17.
The board discussed the budget at length, and mistakenly voted on the budget, during a budget hearing prior to Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting.
Those voting for the budget were Chairman Jeff Beckman, Vice Chairman Darrell Schaal, Dean Bernhardt, Chad Austin and Glenn Gurtner. Casting dissenting votes were Wade Wilhour, Troy Pattillo, Bryce Kistler, Keith Cole, John Daniels Jr., Glen “Whitey” Daniels, Jennifer Waggoner and Jacob Harris.
After that vote, Beckman asked Assistant State’s Attorney Brenda Mathis what they should do, since the budget was not passed.
“Does anybody have any ideas? We’re out of ideas,” Mathis said.
“We’re on a deadline. At this point, we’re seeking extensions. You’re looking at statutory regulations. I don’t know, at this point,” she said.
Even those who voted for the budget during the hearing said they don’t like it.
“It is what it is – we’ve got to pay our bills, too,” Beckman said.
Gurtner said, “I don’t like it,” and Austin said that he voted for it “as bad as I hate to.”
Bernhardt said, “We put it off for another month and we have the same thing.”
“I don’t know what the answer is,” Beckman said. “We have committee meetings, and nobody comes up with anything.
“What are you going to do? You can’t lock the doors,” he said.
“It’s really against my grain to ever vote for something like this, but the bottom line is, you have a lot of people out there who become victims if you don’t.
“Yea, there’s been abuse in different places, but you’ve got vendors who need to be paid (for services provided for the county to county residents),” Beckman said.
“Sometimes, it’s smart to bite the bullet and do what you have to do,” he said.
Beckman, Schaal and John Daniels Jr. serve on the finance committee that presented the budget, and Beckman asked Daniels if he had any comments.
“We just can’t spend what we don’t have,” Daniels said.
Austin added, “We already spent it.”
Mathis told board members, “Right now, Fayette County is operating with a budget, and we have been since Dec. 1.”
Schaal said that the finance committee is “open to suggestions where you want to cut.”
Making further cuts, such as reducing personnel, he said, “that’s a board decision.”
Asked if the board could take another vote, State’s Attorney Joshua Morrison initially told board members that they could not. They would have to do so at a future meeting or schedule a special meeting.
But after conferring with Mathis, Morrison told board members that because the budget was passed in a resolution, and not an ordinance, it could revote on the budget.
At that point, Supervisor of Assessments Cindi Lotz questioned why the board was even voting on the budget during the budget hearing, instead of during the regular meeting, as done in the past and as listed on Tuesday’s meeting agenda.
Beckman agreed with Lotz, admitting that a vote shouldn’t have come during the hearing.
A second vote was taken during the meeting, and the budget passed, with Pattillo, Gurtner, Kistler, Schaal, Cole, Bernhardt, Beckman, Austin and Waggoner voting for it, and John Daniels Jr., “Whitey” Daniels, Harris and Wilhour still opposing it.
That vote was taken after Lotz and County Treasurer Rose Hoover commented on the operations of their offices.
Lotz said that when she started in the office 34 years ago, the supervisor of assessments had five employees. “I now have two.
“When we were asked to cut, we cut,” Lotz said. “If you ask my girls to take furloughs, I’m going to buck on that.
“I’ve done my part.
“Some department heads have as many, if not more, employees (than those office formerly had). I’ve never wanted to say that publicly, but that’s how I feel,” Lotz said.
Hoover agreed with Lotz. “I’ve done the same – I can’t cut no more.
She said that she’s down to one employee, “and if I’m sick or she’s sick, we’re going to be in a pinch,” Hoover said, adding that County Clerk Vicky Conder allows her employees to cover Hoover’s office for short periods.
“I’m doing my best to help everybody out,” Hoover said.
After their comments, Beckman said, “I think you two totally get it, both of you.”
Harris asked whether the county can take steps during this fiscal year to improve the financial picture, and Beckman said that they can. In fact, he said, some changes have already been made.
“We’re really going to have to put the pedal to the metal this year or we’ll find ourselves right back in the hole … and it’s won’t be easy to climb out of it,” Beckman said.
“I think the sad reality is, until you’re in a pickle, I don’t think people understand, I really don’t,” he said.
Harris asked whether the county could consider a part-time mechanic to handle routine maintenance on sheriff’s department vehicles.
Waggoner added that there have already been some steps to create savings in that area, with parts such as spark plugs and air filters being purchased by the county.
Waggoner also recommended a change in medical services provided to inmates at the county jail.
The county currently pays Corrective Solutions $70,000 a year for those services, and Waggoner said she has spoken with a local doctor willing to provide those services.
She estimates that by going with a local doctor and local nurse, the county could realize a savings of up to $40,000 a year.
Beckman said that that recommendation can first be discussed at the committee level.

 

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