Commission trims budget, but new jail costs to be funded with millage increase

By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

A tax increase of about 1.5 mills is expected to hit Fayette property owners as a result of passage of a new county budget last week.

County commissioners trimmed the total budget from $57.5 million to $56.6 million before unanimously approving it, but about $4 million in debt payments on the planned jail/courthouse construction project will require a tax increase, said county finance director Emory McHugh.

Meanwhile, Fayette government workers won't get $179,774 in proposed salary hikes to bring their pay more in line with that of workers in nearby counties.

And they won't receive a retroactive $220,510 cost of living adjustment.

The cuts are part of $637,768 in changes the County Commission made to the proposed budget for fiscal 2001, which starts July 1, before approving the spending plan last week.

Workers will receive an across-the-board 2.7 percent cost of living adjustment, plus merit pay hikes that range from zero to 5 percent.

Commissioners also decided not to make payments to its worker compensation insurance plan this year, taking $459,048 from surpluses in the county's self-insurance fund to cover claims.

During a series of work sessions, commissioners also trimmed $85,501 by cutting two investigator positions from the Sheriff's Department requests, $91,283 by axing juvenile probation officers, and $700 by reducing a proposed increase in the stipends of county Board of Elections members.

The county also will save $60,000 in debt service on the jail/courthouse complex, as bonds were sold at a slightly lower interest rate than originally estimated.

On the revenue side, the county also expects to fund some of the debt service for the jail and for construction of four planned fire stations using impact fees, but state approval of the county's impact fee plan is not expected to come in time to use those figures to calculate property taxes for 2001.

“It may come through in time, but probably won't,” said commission Chairman Harold Bost.