July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Budget is top topic
Jay County Council
A committee formed to keep the county's 2011 budget compact has identified several avenues toward the goal after its first meeting in late April.
Jay County Council member Marilyn Coleman, who chairs the committee, updated other council members Wednesday night on the committee's progress.
County Commissioner Faron Parr and financial consultant Greg Guerrettaz sit on the committee, which was commissioned by the council to help trim budgets even further for next year as well as identify places to increase county revenue.
Coleman rattled off a list of some ideas the committee discussed on the road toward accomplishing its mission.
"Departments cut 10 percent with no intention of replacement," she said. "Encumbrances need to be reduced or totally eliminated. ... We talked about a hiring freeze or chill. ... We also discussed the possibility of reduction in workforce."
Coleman also noted that increasing fees for some county services, blending duties and cross-training for current employees and reducing additional appropriations were also discussed.
The council, which had department heads cut about 10 percent of their 2009 budgets for 2010, is asking those departments to attempt to cut another 10 percent for 2011 in whatever way possible.
Coleman said the committee is planning to meet with department heads 1-on-1 to discuss where are the best places for that 10 percent to come from, since those department heads know how their budget is used better than the council.
Abuse of the encumbrance process, or bills carried over from one year into the next year's budget, has already mostly been eliminated, said Jay County Auditor Nancy Culy, who informed the council wages for part-time help are pretty much the only ones allowed.
As for a hiring freeze, Coleman said that departments will have to try to make do with the staff they have and that employees who quit or retire may not be replaced to save on personnel costs.
Increases in fees may include higher costs for things like ambulance runs but could also an increase in the Local Option Income Tax, especially in the public safety component, which could held defray some additional costs related to the Jay County Jail expansion.
Council president Gerald Kirby had mentioned the LOIT increase in past meetings, although LOIT was not specifically named during Wednesday's meeting.
"It's going to be tough," Kirby said of the preparations to be made for budgeting this year after Coleman's report.
Coleman also said Guerrattaz wanted to speak with the council at its June meeting. The council agreed to convene at 6 p.m. for its June 9 meeting to hear Guerrattaz.
In other business Wednesday, the council:
•Tabled an appropriation of $20,000 for the public defender since a representative was not in attendance at the meeting to explain why the money was needed.
•Approved an appropriation of $8,126.50 from substance abuse program user fees to the Jay Superior Court budget.
•Approved an appropriation of $7,153 from the infrastructure fund to pay for a generator at the Dunkirk Fire/EMS base. The Dunkirk Fire Department has already reimbursed the county for half the cost of the generator.
•Approved a transfer of $5,600 from the cumulative bridge fund to pay for a new copier for the Jay County Highway Department.
•Approved a transfer of $2,215.60 from the auditor's budget to pay wages for a part time employee from the auditor's office who has been helping Jay County Emergency Medical Services catch up on billing.
•Approved a three-year tax abatement for Minnich Poultry, 8563 East 300 North, Portland, on a recommendation from the Tax Abatement Advisory Committee. The $535,000 expansion will create 2.8 new jobs.
•Forwarded a tax abatement request to the Tax Abatement Advisory Committee for Brad W. Mann, 4513 East 600 South, Portland. Mann plans to erect two confined feeding barns for turkeys at a cost of $400,000. The construction will retain two jobs and create one part-time job.
•Assigned council members to perform tax abatement compliance reviews for Eric Pursifull, Cross Roads Precision and Rick Dues.[[In-content Ad]]
Jay County Council member Marilyn Coleman, who chairs the committee, updated other council members Wednesday night on the committee's progress.
County Commissioner Faron Parr and financial consultant Greg Guerrettaz sit on the committee, which was commissioned by the council to help trim budgets even further for next year as well as identify places to increase county revenue.
Coleman rattled off a list of some ideas the committee discussed on the road toward accomplishing its mission.
"Departments cut 10 percent with no intention of replacement," she said. "Encumbrances need to be reduced or totally eliminated. ... We talked about a hiring freeze or chill. ... We also discussed the possibility of reduction in workforce."
Coleman also noted that increasing fees for some county services, blending duties and cross-training for current employees and reducing additional appropriations were also discussed.
The council, which had department heads cut about 10 percent of their 2009 budgets for 2010, is asking those departments to attempt to cut another 10 percent for 2011 in whatever way possible.
Coleman said the committee is planning to meet with department heads 1-on-1 to discuss where are the best places for that 10 percent to come from, since those department heads know how their budget is used better than the council.
Abuse of the encumbrance process, or bills carried over from one year into the next year's budget, has already mostly been eliminated, said Jay County Auditor Nancy Culy, who informed the council wages for part-time help are pretty much the only ones allowed.
As for a hiring freeze, Coleman said that departments will have to try to make do with the staff they have and that employees who quit or retire may not be replaced to save on personnel costs.
Increases in fees may include higher costs for things like ambulance runs but could also an increase in the Local Option Income Tax, especially in the public safety component, which could held defray some additional costs related to the Jay County Jail expansion.
Council president Gerald Kirby had mentioned the LOIT increase in past meetings, although LOIT was not specifically named during Wednesday's meeting.
"It's going to be tough," Kirby said of the preparations to be made for budgeting this year after Coleman's report.
Coleman also said Guerrattaz wanted to speak with the council at its June meeting. The council agreed to convene at 6 p.m. for its June 9 meeting to hear Guerrattaz.
In other business Wednesday, the council:
•Tabled an appropriation of $20,000 for the public defender since a representative was not in attendance at the meeting to explain why the money was needed.
•Approved an appropriation of $8,126.50 from substance abuse program user fees to the Jay Superior Court budget.
•Approved an appropriation of $7,153 from the infrastructure fund to pay for a generator at the Dunkirk Fire/EMS base. The Dunkirk Fire Department has already reimbursed the county for half the cost of the generator.
•Approved a transfer of $5,600 from the cumulative bridge fund to pay for a new copier for the Jay County Highway Department.
•Approved a transfer of $2,215.60 from the auditor's budget to pay wages for a part time employee from the auditor's office who has been helping Jay County Emergency Medical Services catch up on billing.
•Approved a three-year tax abatement for Minnich Poultry, 8563 East 300 North, Portland, on a recommendation from the Tax Abatement Advisory Committee. The $535,000 expansion will create 2.8 new jobs.
•Forwarded a tax abatement request to the Tax Abatement Advisory Committee for Brad W. Mann, 4513 East 600 South, Portland. Mann plans to erect two confined feeding barns for turkeys at a cost of $400,000. The construction will retain two jobs and create one part-time job.
•Assigned council members to perform tax abatement compliance reviews for Eric Pursifull, Cross Roads Precision and Rick Dues.[[In-content Ad]]
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