[OCT. 19, 2005]
A collective sigh of relief could be heard last
night following the Logan County Board's passage of the
tentative budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The budget is up for public view in
the Logan County Courthouse, in County Clerk Sally Litterly's
office, for 30 days.
Finance committee members began the budget process in July, asking
county departments to continue trimming their next year's budgets.
When the bottom line was still too high the committee turned to the
full board to assist in finding where additional cuts could be made
or revenue might come from.
Board members challenged by increasing costs, limited revenues
and state-mandated constraints were asked to come up with a budget
that would preserve jobs, repair and maintain buildings and
equipment, and still maintain services to the taxpayers.
Costs, salaries and revenues were scrutinized in the course of
two special meetings. Several modifications were made, improving the
outlook. However, it was the determination to sell off an unused
portion of the county farm that hurdled the chasm to an acceptable
measure that would pass at last night's meeting.
The budget passed with all members present, all voting yes, and
is anticipated to succeed at ending the next fiscal year in the
black. Yet finance chairman Chuck Ruben and most other board members
stated that they are still uneasy about both this coming year and
the year following.
Any given year's budget is subject to variables; however, when
year-end carry-over dwindles below $500,000 to $600,000 for a county
this size, it carries risks. Past years have had $1 million to carry
over. A total of $200,000 is considered as the minimum amount to
meet year-end expenses before late revenues are in. Board members
are concerned that they could face cutting jobs if excessive costs
cut into funds or if revenues, such as economy-driven sales taxes,
drop off.
Later in the meeting Ruben made a motion for the county to
participate in the state of Illinois-sponsored county engineer
salary program. While participation in the program relieves the
general budget, not everyone likes the details of the program. It
forces the county to abide by whatever the state says the engineer
must be paid and dips into the county's state-held motor fuel tax
funds.
The past engineer was being paid $65,500. Under Illinois
guidelines the Logan County engineer would have to be paid $83,300.
Some board members were opposed to giving a $17,800 raise to a new
employee. Some just didn't like being subject to paying whatever the
state says and were concerned that in the future the state would
raise the amount while the county is struggling with finances.
The county is currently looking for a new engineer to replace Tom
Hickman. Road and bridge chairman Terry Werth said that the county
is given 100 days to find a new engineer. There are 30 days left for
us to hire one, he said.
To the disappointment of the Ruben, the motion failed 6-5. The
five voting yes to participate in the state program were Bob Farmer,
Chuck Ruben, Bill Sahs, Dale Voyles and Terry Werth. The six voting
no were Paul Gleason, Vickie Hasprey, Dick Logan, George Mitchel,
Patrick O'Neill and John Stewart.
The full $65,500 salary was added back into the budget, and it is
expected that that figure may have to be increased to attract a new
engineer.
Top priorities for the coming year are maintaining jobs,
repairing the courthouse dome, repairing an ambulance and the animal
control truck.
Animal control was one of the larger budget increases, going from
$120,250 to $126,000, a 4.5 percent difference. Even so, Ruben
commended new animal control chairman Vickie Hasprey for making the
minimum increases that would maintain the positive changes at the
shelter. Ruben, Dick Logan and other board members recognized that
under her and the former chairman, Pat O'Neill, the facility has
been greatly improved and is being run better than it was several
years ago. It had gotten quite run-down under previous
administration.
One of the positive changes that was made in the budget that will
influence the next two years came from a discovery by Logan County
Emergency Management Agency director Dan Fulscher. He noted an
error. The Emergency Telecommunications System Board is under a new
arrangement between the city and county since the referendum was
passed and is now budgeted differently. The telecommunications board
will owe the county $9,600 at the end of this December and next
December.
The board could still decide to amend the budget, but that would
require re-approval by the board at their Nov. 21 meeting and then
another 30 days for public viewing. This would delay it from
starting on time on Dec. 1.
