County commission approves revised 2018 budget

The Bourbon County Commission on Tuesday signed off a a slightly-revised 2018 county budget.

During a public hearing on the budget, local CPA Terry Sercer met with commissioners to present them with the final budget for their consideration of approval. Commissioners have spent several weeks working with Sercer, receiving budget requests from various departments, and discussing issues such as saving money, as well as salaries and wages as they worked on budget drafts.

“I know you’ve spent weeks and weeks and weeks of work on this,” Sercer said.

Commissioners elected to keep the mill levy flat in the new budget. The final budget approved later in the hearing includes a total mill levy identical to that approved for 2017 — 66.602.

“I wanted to present some highlights of the budget,” Sercer said. “I know some years it’s been difficult … but you’ve been committed to keep the mill levy the same, and were able to do that this year.”

Sercer said the budget “fits with the tax lid” state legislation passed in 2016 that limits the amount of property tax raised by cities and counties above the rate of inflation without a public vote. There are some exceptions to the law, including jail and sheriff, district court and the county’s ambulance service.

The budget includes $6.6 million raised in local property taxes.

“That could be $6.8 (million) under the (tax) lid but you chose to keep it the same,” Sercer said. “I think it’s a good budget. You guys worked hard on it this year.”

The budget also includes raises for hourly employees as well as a new evidence records position. Earlier this month, commissioners proposed a $1.75 per hour increase for the sheriff’s office and correctional center hourly employees. The remaining hourly county employees will receive a 75-cent per hour increase. Those raises will take effect in January.

Commission Chairman Lynne Oharah said commissioners worked on providing competitive wages in order to catch the county employees’ wages up with average wages in surrounding counties.

Commissioners have had discussions on increases for salaried staff but made no changes for the new budget.

“That’s a whole other discussion,” Oharah said.

Commissioners also revised the county’s longevity pay schedule, which Oharah said should provide employees with an incentive to remain with the county.

“We’ve also funded longevity pay, and that’s an incentive to stay for 10 or 15 years,” he said.

Sercer said the budget is “pretty straightforward this year” and “pretty much what’s needed to run” the county.

“I think another thing is we’ve lost personnel, and that’s saved us a lot of money,” Oharah said.

In response to a question from Oharah, Sercer said commissioners “can change anything within the general fund” as far as departments, but they “can’t change funds now that it’s (budget) been published.”

Oharah then made a motion to move $33,000 out of contingency to the county attorney for contractual purposes. Sercer made the change, and later in the public hearing returned to present commissioners with new copies of the revised budget.

Sercer told the Tribune the contingency is a department within the general fund “and it’s specific money for purposes … not one certain department.”

“They cannot raise expenses in any fund,” he said. “For example, they can’t move money from the general fund to road and bridge. But within the general fund, it’s perfectly allowable.”

Commissioners had discussions on the budget and economic development in the county with a local resident who appeared before the commission to observe the hearing. The resident was the only person present during the hearing.

Commissioner Jeff Fischer said commissioners plan to have “discussions on progression pay over time,” and retention of employees. He also said the new Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center will generate revenue.

“We also anticipate revenue from completion of the jail project,” he said. “We need industry and jobs for people.”

Commissioners then unanimously approved the revised 2018 county budget.