By DOTTY NIST
As discussed at a workshop two months earlier, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) has approved a preliminary budget for 2014-15 that edges the millage rate up to provide for stormwater drainage and infrastructure needs facing the county.
The budget proposed for the new fiscal year received BCC approval at a Sept. 8 public hearing at the South Walton Annex. The approval came after Melissa Thomason, Walton County finance manager, updated the commissioners on some additions to the budget since it was discussed at their July 10 workshop and two members of the public came forward to comment.
As discussed at the July 10 workshop, the proposed new fiscal year budget incorporates a countywide millage rate of 3.6363, a .08-mill increase over the current year millage rate, in order to allow for spending on stormwater drainage and infrastructure improvements.
One mill equals one dollar on each $1,000 of taxable property value.
The commissioners had given direction for a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for county employees, who had not received such an adjustment since 2012. Thomason provided details that had been worked out for this COLA, which had been included in the preliminary budget.
The proposal was for a 3-percent COLA for employees serving six months or longer and earning $60,000 or less and a two-percent COLA for those serving six months or longer and earning more than $60,000.
Other changes since July included the addition of a traffic engineer, whose salary is to be paid through grant funds, along with the addition of a code enforcement officer whose salary is also to be grant-funded, plus a vehicle and decibel meter for the officer.
There are to be a total of two code enforcement officers added for the new fiscal year, one for the county and one for the Walton County Tourist Development Council.
With the addition of the traffic engineer and second code enforcement officer, the total number of full-time employees to be added in the new fiscal year will be 18, according to Thomason. This is for county departments and divisions and constitutional offices.
At the hearing, Thomason also detailed a $120,000 amount, funded through fines and forfeitures, to provide for repairs and maintenance at the county jail.
In addition, the proposed budget included a $16,315 payment to Okaloosa County from the medical examiner’s budget for office space provided by the neighboring county and not previously charged to Walton County.
Two attendees came forward to address the BCC at the sparsely-attended hearing. Blue Mountain Beach resident David Lehman told the commissioners that the economy was “still down” from where it had been during the 2005-2006 boom and that property values were still depressed. He urged them to refrain from increasing property taxes.
Speaking as executive director of the Walton County Taxpayers Association (WCTA), Bob Hudson complimented the BCC and County Administrator Larry Jones on the budget process, good communication, and on the access that they had provided the organization to “budget builders” as the budget was created.
Hudson observed that, although no one liked to see a tax increase, the county had held the line on increases for a number of years and was now presented with significant needs in the areas of infrastructure and stormwater drainage improvements. He pledged the WCTA’s support for the budget as presented.
The 3.6363 countywide millage rate received preliminary approval by unanimous vote. Also approved preliminarily with all ayes was a $123,936,505 “total all funds” budget, representing an increase of slightly over $14 million as compared with the current fiscal year budget. Included with the approvals was a $622,000 budget, along with a millage rate at the same level as the current year, for North Walton Mosquito Control.
Following the preliminary approvals, millage may be lowered but not increased by the BCC.
Contacted on Sept. 9, Thomas said that plans were for funds from the .08-mill increase to be placed directly into a capital projects infrastructure account for stormwater and infrastructure improvement projects. The increase should provide $949,179 for such projects in the new fiscal year, she said.
Thomas quantified the increase as approximately $8 more in taxes for the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 after exemptions.
The county’s final budget hearing for the new fiscal year is scheduled for 5:01 p.m. on Sept. 22 at the Walton County Courthouse.
