Effingham County held budget hearings with department heads last week, trying to perform what one commissioner dubbed another miracle in a tight economy.
What the commission has been able to pull off with the budget in recent years “is nothing short of a miracle,” said Commissioner Vera Jones. “With less money, not raising taxes and not reducing services.”
With the digest predicted to grow by about 4 percent, the task once again is to determine which requests for additional money are the most pressing.
An EMS request for heart monitors competes with a request from the coroner for a transport vehicle and storage cooler for bodies. The Sheriff’s Office needs more vehicles and the libraries need money so that they can begin restoring operating hours that they had to cut in recent years.
Staff may suggest that commissioners approve a longevity raise for all county employees, with increases of: 1.5 percent for employees in years one and two; 2.25 percent for years three and four; 3 percent for years five and six; 3.75 percent for years seven and eight; and four percent for years nine and longer.
“It’s gotten a lot of positive response from elected officials and everyone we’ve discussed it with so far,” said Finance Director Joanna Wright.
The libraries got an additional $50,000 last year and had hoped for an additional $75,000 this year and next year in order to restore their operating hours.
But they were warned that $75,000 might not be possible. Library staff was asked to provide scenarios showing what they could do with lesser amounts.
“We’re going to try to do something,” Jones said. “We don’t know the amount.”
Coroner David Exley asked for a new vehicle to carry bodies and a storage cooler, so the county can quit having to rely on area funeral homes. Doing the work itself would be more efficient and save the county money in the long run, he said.
Wright said the capital expense for such a change would need to be spread out over several years, and she doesn’t think this is the year to start the process.
“We have a digest that has slightly increased” from $1.53 billion to $1.59 billion, Wright said. “That’s not a lot of money.”
“If I don’t ask for it, y’all won’t even consider it,” Exley said.
Early plans call for the Sheriff’s Office to get about 30 new vehicles, the same as it did last year, with the county borrowing money to pay for leases.
Department heads expressed gratitude that staff and commissioners set aside a whole week meeting with them in workshops.
Even before last week, Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie said Wright and County Administrator Toss Allen came to his office to discuss the budget as it was being compiled.
“It’s the first time that’s happened,” McDuffie said. “We haven’t had that in the past. In the past, you walked in and got hit with, ‘Here it is,’” he said.
“Communication is key,” Jones said.
Exley also liked the new budget meetings. “I appreciate meeting with commissioners for the first time ever,” he said. “I like that change in the process.”
Staff members plan to have the budget finished so commissioners can consider it at their May 5 meeting and vote on it on May 19.