I have attended the budget hearings this Monday and this Thursday at the Locust Street Center. The County Board is faced with a large revenue shortfall and asked for proposed budgets that will reflect smaller budgets. A 12% cut is the proposed target so the budget expenses will match revenue projections. Yet it seems few of the departments are following the request. What is the problem —the county board not requiring the departments to comply or the department (many of whom are elected officials) choosing not to comply?
First off, As shown in capital letters in photocopy #1, “DEADLINE FOR ALL BUDGETS FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010, 12 PM. The Sheriff’s budgets for the Public Safety Building, jail and sheriff’s patrol were not submitted as of August 30 and according to a statement from the Sheriff at the Public Safety Committee Meeting on August 30--they will be submitted after “month’s end”. The Sheriff’s budgets are the largest based upon payroll. Either the committee is asking too much or the Sheriff can do what he wishes. At the Thursday meeting the County Administrator indicated that the Sheriff’s budgets were received however they would not be released to the board until the county administrator had an opportunity to review the budgets. Needless to say, the report will not be available to the public until after that.
The budget request from Growth Dimensions also was not received and a “zero” was used on some finance committee documents however it is anticipated that Growth Dimensions will be making a budget request.
I will be posting the budgets from both the Monday and Thursday meetings—HOWEVER—the big news for Thursday is that the committee is changing their procedures. The finance committee and the full county board will determine what the county’s revenue “should be”, what reserves they will spend and then begin to work out the numbers with the department heads. See this story at: http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2010/09/revised-boone-county-budget-process-for.html
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
#1-- Schedule #2—Sched #3—Sched
STATES ATTORNEY
Nearly the entire cut is in Grant Wages—a cut in students working in the SA office. These wages are actually paid from grants and are effectively a pass through with no net effect on budget. These attorneys cannot be used on felony cases.
The budget is shown on photocopy #4. a written statement concern the effects of a 12% cut is on photo #5. Photocopy 6 shows the department employees and their wage costs.
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
#4—St At Budget #5 St. At #6 St At Wages
COUNTY CLERK
Expenses are nearly identical to last year’s budget. See photocopy #7. The reader should exclude the Revenue Stamp Expense. The stamps can only be purchased form the state in bulk and basically are sold at nearly twice face to persons registering their property. It really is not a controllable expense. Photocopy #8 is a written comment on the effect of a 12% cut in budget. One interesting item from the committee hearing regards closing the office during lunch. Such would be necessary if there is a cut in personnel. Apparently the county board would have to pass a change in ordinance to allow the office to close for lunch. Photocopy #9 for the employee list and wages.
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
#7--Co Clk Budget #8—Co Clk #9 Co Clk Wages
CLERK TO THE CIRCUIT CLERK
Expense are up 1.5% due to unionized wage increases, a $,2251 increase in the Circuit Clerk’s salary approved by the county board in 2009 and a reclassification of a non-union employee. The union contract expires on November 30, 2010. A $5,596 in unionized wages due to step raises are not shown on the budget expenses. See #10 for more details concerning the budget.
A lengthy two page explanation of the effect of a 12.5% budget reduction is shown on page #11 &12. According to the present union contract 3 persons would have to be laid off to reach the 12.5% reduction. Ms. Ohlsen states: “My office cannot sustain this reduction in staff”. On Page 11, Direct Result, item 2, there is a statement that “Dispositional work…would quickly be impossible to complete within 9-12 months.” In discussion with the committee it was told that such work is currently backlogged to May 2010 (3 months). Ms. Ohlsen was requested to check with counties of similar size (Stephenson and Ogle Counties) and report back on these counties’ backlog.
Pages 13&14 shows the wage bill for FY 2011.
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
#10 Circ Clk Budget #11-Circ Clk #12—Circ Clk
#13 Circ Clk—Union #14 Cir Clk—non-union
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