09/10/13 In less than four hours the Marshall County Council was able to red-line $400,323.00 from the 2014 budget requests.
The council started right out with the Commissioner’s budget where the reduced their requests by $37,000. There were two major deductions, $10,000 in postage dropping it to $80,000 and a $10,000 reduction in insurance bringing the appropriation to $388,750. Other cuts include $5,000 in telephone with a bottom line of $95,000 and $5,000 from utilities for a final figure of $325,000. $2,000 was reduced from the Dues & Subscription line item and $5,000 out of office machines.
The Drainage Board budget is also under the control of the County Commissioners. The only cut was $300 from wages clerical.
The next budget to take a cut was the Special CAGIT for the Correctional Facility. The council only cut $5,000 from the wages overtime to make the line item $20,000.
The County Building & Grounds Department took a cut in the wages maintenance part –time of $10,000 leaving $10,000 in the budget next year. The council also totally reduced the $1,500 line item of communication equipment.
The Sheriff’s budget in the General Fund took a hit of $58,000 with all of it being moved to the CAGIT Certified Shares budget. Included in the reduction was $30,000 for vehicle repair, $18,000 for vehicle accessories, $2,000 for radar units, $3,000 for radios and accessories, and $5,000 for video cameras. This funding is for equipment needed for three new vehicles. The equipment will be purchased through the CAGIT budget.
The Sheriff’s CAGIT Certified Shares budget was reduced by $28,000. $16,000 was removed from wages overtime. This is the amount that LaPaz was to pay for additional patrols in their town. In August the sheriff said he was unable to satisfy their request for documentation of hours the town used and payment was never received. Another deduction was the total amount of $7,000 for training. The council asked the sheriff to use the continuing education fund which has a balance of $25,000 available and he agreed. The final cut was $5,000 from vehicle accessories. Since the average cost is $5,000 per vehicle and next year’s purchase was set at 3 vehicles the council left $15,000 in the line item.
The Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office took a big hit in the 2014 budget requests. Prosecutor Dave Holmes requested a pay increase for his case workers but the county’s HR consultants noted that the job duties have not changed enough to warrant the increase. The council cut $28,682 from the wages secretary line for the caseworkers. Holmes also sought nearly a 9% increase for his officer administrator and the council reduced that line by $2,000 leaving $38,000 in the budget. Another wage reduction was $12,500 moving a part-time employee to full time status under wages clerical. The final cut was for the deputy prosecuting attorney, cutting $6,112 leaving a balance of $98,480.
Another department on the chopping block was the Marshall County Probation Department with a cut of $33,339. The biggest deduction in the 2014 budget was $30,839 by not allowing for the addition of a new probation officer. Other cuts included $500 is office supplies leaving a balance of $8,000 a reduction in equipment maintenance contracts of $1,000 and $1,000 from travel and mileage leaving a balance of $3,500.
The Marshall County Clerk saw a $4,000 reduction in her budget, $1,000 in wages overtime and $3,000 in office supplies leaving a balance of $14,500. Also under control of the Clerk is the Voter Registration budget. There was a reduction of $600 in longevity, $200 from travel and mileage and $500 under office equipment. The Clerk also has the Election Board budget where the council reduced it by $4,200 with a cut of $3,000 in election poll workers due to no pay increase and $1,200 reduction in election board wages.
Cut by the County Council continued with Superior Court I. Right off the top they removed the $5,000 department head wage which would be added to the judge’s state pay he receives. The council reduced wages clerical by $1,000, pauper council by $12,000 leaving a balance of $95,000 and $5,000 from grand & petit jurors.
Superior Court II saw a cut of $60,000 with a $1,000 reduction in wages clerical, $2,000 off wages law clerk, and $18,000 in pauper council leaving a balance of $170,000. Other cuts include $30,000 for upgrade to the courts video which was moved to the Rainy Day fund, $2,000 for grand & petit jurors and $7,500 in equipment maintenance.
Circuit Court also had cuts to their 2014 budget requests in the amount of $31,500. The council removed $22,000 in office furniture and fixtures line item, the amount needed to make the court handicap accessible. The project will be funded in the building maintenance fund instead. Other cuts include $500 in wages clerical, $3,000 under wages overtime, $2,000 for grand & petit jurors, $1,000 in office equipment and $3,000 from pauper council leaving $82,000.
The Building Commissioner’s budget seemed to take a big hit but a major portion was removing the administrative assistant to the Plan Director’s budget. That wage was $31,551 plus longevity of $1,100 and overtime of $2,500. The council also nixed his request for a 17% wage increase reducing it by $5,271. They also cut out the request of a new part-time position to help in the office at a cost of $9,460. Other cuts included $500 for vehicle maintenance supplies and a replacement vehicle of $28,358 for the 2007 vehicle with 130,000 miles.
The County’s IT department saw a reduction of $1,750 for training and travel and mileage.
The Council removed $4,000 from the coroner’s budget under autopsy expense leaving a budget of $20,000.
The final budget that was struck by red ink was the Plan Commission. A $2,00 reduction in wages clerical, $2,000 in wages overtime, $1,100 in wages per diem and $500 in printing and advertising.
On Monday the County Council made cuts totaled $400,323.
