August 24, 2010
Members of the Marshall County Council spent 6 hours Monday review the 2011 budget with many of the department heads and or elected officials.
All three Marshall County Commissioners; Kevin Overmyer, Jack Roose and Tom Chamberlin were present to make their recommendations to the Council. Commissioner Overmyer said, “Basically our recommendations are the same as we made to the Council on June 14th. Those recommendations include: 1.) No pay increases, 2.) No funding of new positions, 3.) Reduction of employees through attrition by not replacing 2 retirements in the Clerk’s Office and 1 in the Auditor’s Office and not hiring the 2 vacancies in the County Highway Department. The Commissioners also suggested considering reducing the County Building Inspector to part time, possibly three days a week.
Other recommendations including considerations on combining the County Plan Commission and Building Department with the City of Plymouth’s. The fifth item under personnel recommendations includes maintaining the number of paid holidays at 12 by eliminating the 2 election days as holidays. The reduction of election days is contingent on whether the election board can relocate the polling site from the County Building lobby. The commissioners will formally make the recommendation to the Election Board at their next meeting.
Under general recommendations the commissioners suggested remodeling projects be overseen by the County’s Building and Grounds Department, specifically the kitchenette units in the Courthouse and Annex. They also want the IT Department to continue to evaluate and recommend all computer replacements and upgrades.
The commissioners encourage departments that have special funds available to them to use those funds to assist with their budgets.
Commissioners Overmyer also asked the Council to not reduce the budget below the current budget of $10.3 million in order to preserve the maximum levy. He clarified the recommendation by stating, “Due to the decreased CAGIT revenues, we will need the maximum from property taxes.”
Monday the council looked at many budgets but didn’t make any recommendations a making any specific cuts.
County Auditor Penny Lukenbill did say that there is a difference of $387,000 between budget requests and operating funds estimated revenues for 2011.