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Commissioners begin working on county's budget
On Monday, Bourbon County Commissioners spent an hour and a half on the road and bridge department budget and made plans for three more budget work sessions to try and beat the date of Aug. 15. That is the date the budget is supposed to be published.
"This is one step. We'll go through the budget of each department, scrutinizing all requests," Allen Warren, commission chair said. "After we look at all departments, we'll see where we are at. Then we'll decide if we can give raises."
During Monday's regular meeting the commissioners covered all the road and bridge department's line items and found a couple of places that needed revised.
"We don't try to find out how much we saved today," Warren said. "When Terry Sercer comes back on Thursday, he'll tell us where we are at."
Sercer is an accountant with Diehl Banwart Bolton, Certified Public Accountants, who provides services for government entities including auditing the financial statements and helping prepare the annual budget.
At Friday's commission meeting Sercer reported that a 12 mill increase would happen if every department was given what it asked for.
Sercer's preliminary work shows a 75.142 mill levy. The 2014 mill levy is 63.033. Sercer said that significant cuts could be made right away.
Also present at Monday's budget meeting was Jim Harris, public works director; County Attorney Terri Johnson and Assistant County Attorney Valorie LeBlanc and Kendall Mason, county clerk. Treasurer Rhonda Dunn was in and out answering questions the commission had, then returning to her office.
More budget work sessions are set for 9 a.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7 and 1-3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11.
Soldier Road
Three citizens stopped in to voice complaints about the conditions on Soldier Road in the northern part of the county.
Before the budget hearing got underway, Bill Keith stopped in to the commission.
"My combine hangs over both sides of the road," Keith said, talking about a section from 215th to 175th. "It's better than it was. It's so narrow you can't meet anything on it."
Keith also said that in his opinion, the cover material on the landfill could be adjusted. "We could get by with less cover," he told the commission.
Dennis Meech came during the budget session, with Third District Commissioner Harold Coleman speaking to him aside from the meeting room.
"(He) complained about Soldier Road. I think it needs some attention. The culvert is pulling apart," Coleman said later during a break in the budget meeting.
Later, Joe Savage, at a break in the budget meeting, also reported to the commission that at the "curve on the blacktop on Soldier Road, brush is grown up. You have no visibility," he said.
Sheriff department
The commissioners planned to sign a contract with Piper Jaffray, a financial service company that will be used during the new county jail project. But Second Commissioner Barbara Albright said she had a few questions about the contract and wanted to put off signing until it could be reviewed closer. Coleman agreed, saying he had a few questions as well.
Sheriff Bill Martin later attended the meeting to get Warren's signature on a grant application for four in-car video cameras that the sheriff's department needs. Martin said the cameras would be used for traffic stops, calls for service and help in investigations.
"They will be the silent witnesses recording constantly," Martin told the Tribune.
County roadwork
The commission heard from Harris that road and bridge personnel are asphalting on Yale Road this week, plan to start milling in Bronson on Tuesday and are getting ready to chip and seal in Bronson, Mapleton and Redfield within a few weeks. The department also will be looking at replacing a bridge on Maple Road between 145th and 155th and culverts for 95th Street and Unity Road.