Lamar County Decide Brandon Bell labeled a $3,000 pay enhance for workers probably the most vital merchandise in his proposed 2022-23 price range, a price range the choose mentioned he believes represents a consensus of county commissioners and one that can serve residents within the coming yr.
A public listening to on the proposed $27.1 million complete basic and highway and bridge budgets supported by a proposed 34.48 cent per $100 valuation tax price is scheduled for five:30 p.m. Monday within the county courtroom on the primary flooring of the Lamar County Courthouse, 119 N. Primary St. Commissioners are then anticipated to cross each the price range and tax price.
The proposed price range displays a $1.5 million enhance over the 2021-22 price range of $25.6 million, based on price range paperwork.The county’s basic fund steadiness, estimated to be $13.7 million in October is estimated to drop to $9.3 million by fiscal yr finish in September 2023.
“If we spend all the things that we are saying we’re going to spend, it could drop that a lot,” Bell mentioned. “It occurs yearly that we price range for greater than we really pay out.”
The proposed tax price of 34.48 cent price displays a lower of roughly one and a half cents from the 2021 tax price of 38.06 cents and can increase extra income from property taxes by $836,412, which is a 5.6% enhance from final yr’s price range. The county remains to be inside the 3.5% state-imposed income cap due to the full income to be raised, $271,413 comes from new property.
As is regular process for many governmental entities for the reason that state imposed the three.5% cap on income, the proposed tax price is barely greater than a 33.16 cent price that would offer for no new income.
“I believe most counties are afraid in the event that they want slightly extra income within the coming yr they will be unable to get extra income due to the cap,” Bell mentioned. “With an inflation price hovering at about 8%, we are able to’t even sustain with inflation.”
Bell mentioned a rise to the price of dwelling and the necessity to retain staff, particularly in legislation enforcement and on the county jail, prompted a $3,000 wage enhance for elected officers and county staff with legislation enforcement getting barely extra with a 6% enhance.
“It’s probably the most we’ve carried out in fairly awhile,” Bell mentioned as he emphasised the necessity to retain county staff with expertise and dedication. “And as for legislation enforcement and the jail, with the sheriff being as much as 9 or ten staff brief, there’s clearly a necessity for one thing to be carried out. We need to stay aggressive, and that was the aim.”
Facility repairs, significantly the county courthouse with its roof issues and the ever growing wants on the sheriff’s division with an growing old county jail and a rising county inhabitants, stay a excessive price range precedence.
“We’ve included $1.5 million in capital enhancements for unexpected bills and we’re hoping to make use of the $8.8 million that is still of the American Rescue Plan grant to handle the courthouse roof scenario earlier than we spend it on different wants,” Bell mentioned, nothing that American Rescue funds and the capital challenge fund should not part of the overall income price range however are included in complete line objects that complete roughly $42.6 million and embody such objects because the debt service fund, state and federal grants and different particular income funds.
