Reports of good news for the county’s taxpayers and employees dominated a summary of Fannin County’s proposed $37.2 million Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget Tuesday, November 30, during a public hearing.
Sherri Walker, county clerk and assistant finance director, presented the summary that included the fact the county has no bonded indebtedness.
County Attorney Lynn Doss said this was the first time in its recent history Fannin County has been debt free. This can be traced back through Doss’ time as county attorney and her husband’s, Harry Doss’, time in that position starting in 1978.
Debt-free status was achieved when the courthouse was paid off earlier this year.
The proposed budget also provides ten percent pay hikes for the county’s public safety employees – sheriff’s office and jail, fire and ambulance services, and 911 Center – and five percent hikes for other county employees.
Commission Chairman Jamie Hensley said the public safety increases are necessary for the county to retain its skilled workforce.
Post 2 Commissioner Glenn Patterson echoed, “our employees are worth it.”
Paying off the courthouse resulted in a $1,122,375 reduction in expenses for the county in its FY 2022 budget.
Meanwhile, the pay increases and other line item changes for public safety categories increased those expenses $1,346,980.
Hensley said after the hearing another investment the budget is an increase in the public works (road department) budget of $187,742. The majority of this will be used to hire five new employees.
Hensley said the manpower in the department had been cut by 40% in previous years.
“We have to grow as our county grows,” he said.
Hensley explained that the weekend population growth takes a heavy toll on county roads, and those roads must be maintained. “It takes more people than what we currently have to do the job and do it right,” Hensley said.
Other noticeable changes in FY 2022 from FY 2021 discussed at the meeting included an increase in the Board of Elections budget of $215,056, which is created by the 2022 election cycle.
A line item in the amount of $8,000 for the Disabled American Veterans has also been added.
The majority of $6,266,042 in revenue growth came from the hotel/motel tax, up $1,749,625; the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 up $4,036,417; and Tourism Product Development (TPD) funds of $480,000.
Walker explained the ARPA and TPD funds are restricted in their use.
And it’s the total of those revenues and their corresponding expenses that create the most noticeable change between the proposed FY 2022 budget of $37,218,695 and the final budget adopted for FY 2021 of $29,356,858.
The final FY 2021 amount did not reflect changes in revenue and corresponding expenses during the year such as increases in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) or hotel/motel tax collections.
During the public comment portion of the hearing, Hensley addressed funding for Animal Control.
While that funding is increased $4,104 for FY 2022 over FY 2021, there was a question raised over a decrease from previous years.
Hensley explained that more money is now being used for the facility and actual care of the animals and less for salaries.
The commissioners are scheduled to approve the budget at their December 14 meeting.