2021 county budget emphasizes roads and bridges
Gilmer County commissioners will hold public comment on the 2021 proposed budget for the county which is heavy on money for road and bridge repair.
“The big thing about this year’s budget is what we are going to give the road department,” said Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris.
Most of the increases come in the capital expenditures for the department. A total of $4,400,705 was added for equipment and maintenance.
Of that amount, $2,677,944 was set aside as a pot of money to be used to repair roads and bridges in Gilmer County. It is the first such set aside of county money which will become a recurring line item in the future, though the amount may change.
Which roads and bridges receive the attention will be prioritized in the coming year.
The remainder will be spent on equipment such as: two salt spreaders, a pothole patcher, a motor-grader, a tandem dump truck, a single axle dump truck and three pickup trucks.
“We are paying cash,” said Paris. It won’t be debt for the county.
Other departments won’t see cuts because of the funding increase, he said.
“There was nothing that was cut that was crucial,” Paris said. “We’ve tried to concentrate on a specific department each year.”
Another thing which helped with the road department funding was the CARES Act, money which the county was able to use to purchase an ambulance and some sheriff’s vehicles this year, freeing up some money in next year’s budget.
“Really, everything else is the same as before,” Paris said.
A 5 percent increase in pay is set for most employees as part of the budget.
The maintenance and operation budget for 2021 will total $23,767,875, and the capital budget will be $9,981,983. This compares to 2020 with a maintenance and operation budget of $22,504,395 and a capital budget of $8,957,353.
Public comment on the budget will be held Thursday, Dec. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Gilmer County Jury Assembly Room at the Gilmer County Courthouse.