Polk County Commissioner John Pippenger assured his fellow commissioners they would not all agree or like all parts of a budget proposal he had prepared, but that the plan would reach their needed “cut” number and balance the 2020-21 budget.
Pippenger then presented his proposal to eliminate the county’s $85,542 budget deficit (cut number) during a meeting of the commission’s budget committee Tuesday, July 14, in Benton.
The proposal included $41,700 in additions to previous budget worksheets and $76,200 in subtractions.
Among the major points, it will fund $40,000 for corrections officer overtime, pay off the county’s sanitation equipment, pay annual employee bonuses, and give the road department $170,000.
Additions included:
•$1,200 to county executive travel, which had been cut to zero;
•$500 to juvenile court travel; and,
•$40,000 to overtime for corrections officers, which still provides less than half of what Sheriff Steve Ross had requested.
Minuses included:
•$61,976 that came from increasing the tax collection rate to 92.5%, a half percent from previous projections. This shows on the minus side to reduce the cut number because it adds to the revenue projection;
•$10,500 to contributions, reducing the line item to $3,000;
•$187 in sheriff’s office dues and memberships;
•$1,000 in East Polk Fire and Rescue Dental and Medical (money that had been budgeted in prior years but not used);
•$600 to E.M.A. travel;
•$1,500 to West Polk Fire and Rescue Dental and Medical, based on the same situation as the East Polk cut; and,
•$437 in West Polk Fire and Rescue Dues and Memberships.
Pippenger’s proposal also established spending $791,333 in one-time state money the county is expected to receive as a result of COVID-19.
That money will be used to:
•Cover a $51,042 expense overage in the county budget;
•Pay off the $325,000 owed on sanitation equipment;
•Pay $1,360 bonuses to full time and $680 bonuses to part time employees;
•Give the road department $170,000; and,
•Put the remaining $119,491 into a Capitol Fund for use per law.
Besides Pippenger, commissioners Daniel Deal, Debbie Davis, Greg Brooks, Samantha Trantham and Jeremy Kimsey voted in favor of the plan. Commissioners Dewey Esquinance and James Woody voted no, with the plan passing 6-2.
Director of Accounts and Budgets Catrice Lowe said Thursday, after the changes in Pippenger’s plan were applied to the budget worksheets, the revenue now stands at $9,741,094 and expenses at $9,621,462 in the county general fund.
Prior to voting on Pippenger’s plan, the committee received the school budget, which Lowe explained would “test out” and come within the amount the county had planned to budget for the schools and did not exceed last year’s amount.
Dr. James Jones, director of schools, came to the committee meeting to explain concerns commissioners had with certain line items in the budget.
There had also been a motion by Esquinance to eliminate county insurance for commissioners. During a back-and-forth discussion, Brooks said, “You’re showboating,” and reminded the commissioners “We’re the lowest paid county commissioners in the state of Tennessee.”