Logan County places flexible hiring freeze and approves fiscal year budget

 

[December 06, 2021] 

At the Logan County Board Regular voting meeting was held on Tuesday, November 23. The board approved several Finance Committee motions.

The first motion brought forward by Finance Committee Chairman Steve Jenness was to take the FY 2021/22 Budget off display. The budget took effect Dec. 1, 2021.

Other motions included:

A freeze on hiring through fiscal year 2022 for any new positions that did not exist prior to 10/01/2021, as well as freeze refilling any current positions vacant longer than 10/01/2019 unless approved by the Logan County Board by two thirds vote, but not to include any part time or seasonal positions.

When there are positions needing to be filled, Jenness said the board would do a review to see if filling the position is justifiable. Jenness said they are not trying to stop offices from hiring. They just want to determine if the position is really needed and whether the department could run without it.

The board approved two tax abatement ordinances:

An ordinance abating the tax hereto levied for the year 2021 to pay the principal of and interest on Taxable General Obligation Bonds (Courthouse Public Facility Sales Tax Alternate Revenue Source), Series 2020A, and General Obligation Bonds (Courthouse Public Facility Sales Tax Alternate Revenue Source), Series 2020B, of the County)

A resolution for Annual Abatement Ordinance abating the tax hereto levied for the year 2021 to pay the principal of and interest on $600,000 Taxable General Obligation Bonds (Alternate Revenue Source), Series 2012, of the County. The board must vote on this one annually.

Two motions relating to the allocation of ARPA funds for premium pay were sent back to the finance committee for more discussion.

These motions included:

- Allocating $4,000 for each full-time nonunion employee and $13 per hour up to and not to exceed $2,000 for each nonunion part time employee that has worked for Logan County from March 1, 2020 through March 1, 2021.

- Included employees hired after March 2021 to still be eligible for the part time premium pay of $13 per hour up to and not to exceed $2,000.

Jenness then brought a motion off the floor to give two percent raises for non-union employees for 2022.

Schaffenacker said the board seems to go through this [discussion of whether to give raises] every year. He wanted to know how to avoid having to make the decision last minute in 12 months.

Chairman Davenport said it is something the board has to do. Each year, the board must choose whether or not to put a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in the budget.

In 2020 and 2021, the non-union employees did not receive raises. At last month’s board workshop, Davenport said in eight years on the board, that was the only time they did not get raises. From 2014-2017, the non-union employees received three percent raises. In 2018 and 2019, they received two percent raises.

The non-union raises were approved for 2022.

The final finance motions approved included a FY 2020-21 Budget Amendment, the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget, and several tax levies for FY 21-22. These levies must be approved by the board annually.

The audited amount from FY 20/21 rolling over into the new budget is $811,068.

The budgeted fund balance for end of 2021, beginning of 2022 is $18,552,808. The projected change in fund balance with the difference between revenues and expenses is $8,171,122.

Logan County Treasurer Penny Thomas said the numbers are higher due to the courthouse restoration expense that carried over from FY 2020 and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, federal covid recovery) funds $5.58 million added in.

Board members present were Board Chairman Emily Davenport, Vice Chairman Scott Schaffenacker, David Blankenship, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, David Hepler, Steve Jenness, Keenan Leesman, Dale Nelson, Bob Sanders and Jim Wessbecher.

[Angela Reiners]