Gilmer County’s Commission Board is facing the prospect of cutting $1 million from the budget requests they received last week.
Chairman Charlie Paris said the budgets presented by the department heads had $500,000 more in spending than projected revenues. Because he likes to maintain $500,000 in contingency, it equates to $1 million in cuts.
He is projecting higher revenues, but only slightly.
“I always try to make sure we have a balanced budget,” Paris said. “What people have to realize is it is a balancing act.”
As a result, department heads are begin asked to prioritize their needs.
Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson said the department heads were conscientious in their budgets.
“I appreciate the department heads being considerate and not going crazy with things that aren’t needed,” she said.
A priority for Paris is pay raises for county workers at the lower scale, employees working for $9 an hour.
One reason pay raises are a priority is the county is having the same problem many businesses are, trouble hiring new people. Paris said they are having trouble staffing positions at the lower pay scales, some in the road department.
Capitol budget priorities include fire equipment, a new ambulance and $300,000 for the pool construction fund.
Road department and fire department equipment does not come cheap, even used, said Paris.
For a while, Gilmer County capitol budget was able to use money gained from financing bonds. This money was used to replenish a lot of much-needed equipment.
“I think people got used to the idea,” he said. “Now, there is only so much we can do.”
He said he hears the people who want him to pull funding from the law enforcement budget, fire budget and the park and recreation budget and pump it into the road department.
Paris said he cannot do that in good faith. All the departments have their needs, and all are important to the citizens.
This is Ferguson’s first budget as a sitting commissioner and she is impressed with the people working for the county.
“We have such a good team of department heads,” she said.
For her, the road department is the biggest priority. She agrees with the push to increase salaries and maybe look at some new ideas for the department.
At the closed landfill, a lift station and some piping are in need of being replaced at considerable cost.
She said the sheriff’s department is asking for some retirement funding, which is an issue statewide.
Flooring for the planning and zoning department and the new pool are also priorities for her.
“We are still all working through it,” she said. “It is in the early stages.”