Frustration between the Polk County Commission and the Director of Accounts and Budgets Catrice Lowe surfaced at a Tuesday, June 23, budget committee meeting to discuss next fiscal year’s budget.
“Okay, well we’re completely raising the cut numbers instead of cutting it,” Lowe said as commissioners talked of adding travel funds to departments.
District 1 Commissioner Debbie Davis asked, for the second time, what the Juvenile Court’s travel was for.
District 2 Commissioner Greg Brooks moved to adjourn the meeting after members were unable to come to a conclusion.
“It’s getting too out of hand. Nothings gonna get accomplished,” Brooks said, as the discussion continued.
The motion failed with Lowe saying, “We’re here. Let’s cut some numbers and do something.”
Members voted to allow up to $587 for dues and membership fees for each department.
District 2 Commissioner Dewey Esquinance voted no on the motion, and District 1 Commissioner James Woody chose to pass on the vote.
Veterans Service Officer Tim Woody was granted a full-time position from his current part-time status with no clerical personnel.
Tim Woody had originally asked for a pay increase to $32,000 a year, but members quickly shot that down. The change results in a $6,627 increase in annual salary.
District 3 commissioners Daniel Deal and Samantha Trantham voted against the motion. Commissioner Woody abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest and Commissioner Mark Evans was absent.
Commissioners voting for the change; Davis, Esquinance, Brooks, John Pippenger, and Jeremy Kimsey agreed the change was to further benefit the veterans.
“That’s not a bad deal,” Brooks said. “Going from part time to full time for 6,000 a year.”
Pippenger responded by pointing out the board was supposed to be cutting items from the budget rather than increasing it.
After debating for over an hour, the commissioners decided to cut travel lines across departments with the exception of law mandated meetings, seminars, etc. that department heads must attend.
Travel was cut from the following departments:
•Veteran’s Services, from $2,300 to $800;
•Agriculture and Natural Resources, from $2,500 to $1,000 for out-of-county travel alone;
•Juvenile Court, from $3,000 to $0;
•Library, from $3,470 to $2,014.
•The Administration of Justice, from $140 to $100;
•The County Clerk’s Office, from $2,400 to $1,500;
•The County Trustee’s Office, from $4,500 to $1,500;
•Accounting and Budgeting, from $725 to $200; and
•The Executive’s office, from $1,500 to $0 per Hatcher’s recommendation.
Due to discrepancies in the library budget, it was modified from $107,611 to $85,667.
State funding increased from $631,437 to $791,333.
Prior to the gathering, department heads were asked to cut 2 to 3% from their budgets; however, all departments did not turn in a cut budget.
With those budget cuts on the table, the county still was at a $85,667 shortfall coming into the meeting.
The county’s collection rate is currently at 91.65%, which is the amount of taxes the county anticipates to receive.
The beginning of the 2020-21 fiscal year was today, Wendesday, July 1.
Several additional motions were made throughout the budget committee meeting but failed to carry.
Before adjournment, Pippenger moved to pass his chair to Esquinance, however Esquinance declined to accept the position.