By DOTTY NIST
County commissioners took a first look at a budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year on July 10 and discussed needs of the county.
This was at a Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) budget workshop at the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs.
Walton County Finance Manager Melissa Thomason presented the proposed budget. The presentation was based on the current county millage rate, 3.5563 mills, remaining the same for 2014-15. However, the proposed budget did represent a $10.9 million increase. As presented, the “total all funds” figure for the new budget was slightly less than $120.6 million.
Written material provided to the commissioners and the public listed notable items that were elements of the $10.9 million increase. Thomason commented that, in the interest of sustainability, staff had been careful not to fund recurring expenses with nonrecurring funds
Among the items listed were a $2.3 million increase in debt service, due to a prepayment on the loan for the U.S. 331 bay bridge expansion, and an increase of almost $3.4 million in the Walton County Tourist Development Council (TDC) budget. $1.29 million was listed for employee merit or cost-of-living (COLA) increases.
After a number of years of putting off purchase and updating of equipment, Thomason said the county is now in a good position to purchase new equipment. Accordingly, the notable items list showed $2.02 million for public works equipment, $660,470 for landfill equipment, and $373,980 for purchase of two ambulances.
Rounding out the list were a $350,000 increase for employee health insurance, one of $260,000 in connection with state-mandated retirement contributions, and one of $250,000 for document management services.
In April, severe widespread flooding after heavy rains had highlighted the longstanding need for stormwater drainage improvements. Thomason said staff is aware of upcoming expenses for this purpose. She pointed to the possibility of such funding through the county’s existing SunTrust Bank line of credit.
The proposed budget reflected the transfer of jail employees from the BCC to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), due to the WCSO’s having taken on responsibility for the jail, and the transfer of emergency management personnel from the WCSO to the BCC. Thomason noted that these changes did not increase budgeted full-time employees (FTEs).
The proposed budget included the increase of 16 FTEs for county constitutional offices and BCC departments, with four FTEs to be added for the Clerk of Courts, two for the Property Appraiser’s Office, one for the Building Department, one for Code Enforcement, one for Recreation, four for Facilities/Recreation Maintenance, one for Planning and Development Services, and one for the TDC. New FTEs for the constitutional offices are funded through those offices rather than the BCC, and the additional FTE for the building department is to be funded through fees paid for services of that department.
The budget also reflects the county attorney, his assistant, and a legal assistant previously working under contract with Walton County Legal Services now working directly for the BCC. In addition, a reduction in FTEs, one for the County Administrator’s Office and one for Human Resources, is noted. The first reduction was due to the functions of the support services director having been absorbed by administration. The latter was due to one FTE having been transferred from administration to code enforcement.
Regarding the proposed increase in FTEs for facilities/recreation maintenance, Thomason explained the rationale. With the remodeled Walton County Emergency Operations Center, the new United Fire Station, and the proposed new sports complex on the horizon, the proposal is to combine the two maintenance departments in order to be able to pull employees where they are needed.
A 4.8-percent cost increase is projected for employee health insurance overall.
A $10.2 million unassigned fund balance is projected for the new fiscal year, a slight increase over that of the current fiscal year.
BCC discussion began with District 4 Commissioner Sara Comander voicing support for the use of a COLA increase for employees rather than a merit increase because the COLA could be implemented sooner. She pointed out that milk now costs $4 a gallon. Comander suggested putting the increase in place for employees earning less than $50,000. “Our workers make us who we are,” she said.
Walton County Administrator Larry Jones responded that there had been discussions on this and that it would likely be the most appropriate course of action.
District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows was in agreement on a COLA but suggested a closer look at what the appropriate number should be for the earning level of employees who would receive the increase.
Comander responded that the $50,000 figure had been for purposes of discussion only.
Jones commented on discussions with the TDC about the possibility of the county and the TDC “sharing” code enforcement officers, with the TDC funding a portion of the officers’ salaries for time spent working for the TDC.
The TDC currently has two officers tasked with enforcement of the code on the beach. The proposed budget calls for the addition of one code officer for the TDC and one for the county….
Read the full story in the July 24, 2014 edition of the Herald Breeze.
