What Happened At The IDB/EDC Meeting This Week?

What Happened at the IDB/EDC meeting this week that required the removal of members of the public from their meeting?

What could possibly have been discussed that the public was not allowed to be involved in? Was it possibly some great legal discussion but without their attorney present what legal activities could have been discussed?

Perhaps they wanted to discuss the huge increases they have requested for their budget?

Perhaps it was to discuss the big payout from the recent lawsuit they settled? Oh, you didn't know that the lawsuit had been settled with taxpayer money maybe it because there has been nothing on the radio or in the newspaper about it. Oh, well it's only been about two weeks so maybe the news will still show up somewhere other than on this blog.  No, it could have been that they would have had one of their four attorneys present to discuss that.

Well, doggone it I guess they just didn't want the public to know what they were doing so they just turned a required public meeting into a closed meeting? Guess there is nothing like the convenience of snubbing your nose at the law and the people when it comes to getting your way?

Congratulations Go Out To Home Depot Once Again

Congratulations go out to Home Depot once again for their unselfish and quick response in offering aid through the Emergency Management Team to those folks suffering property damage form the storms.

No doubt Home Depot deserves to be recognized as the citizen of the week for not waiting to be contacted to help but making the approach and offer of unlimited help with much needed materials.

I'm also told that Fred's is another great supporter of the community with the same quick and generous offers to supply much needed items for those who suffered great loses from the severe weather.

From the Financial Management Office

The claim has been made that “all” the county departments have “CUT” their budgets to a point that they cannot possibly be cut anymore and we “MUST” have a property tax increase and/or a “Wheel Tax”.

There has even been the claim that we have not had a property tax increase in years. I agree that the property rate has remained the same but the fact is there has been a huge property tax increase with the reappraisal.  Go ask property owners if they are paying more this year than they were before the reappraisal?

Here is a list of the different departments along with their Actual Audited  Budget for 2012/2013; Their Budget for 2013/2014; and what they have requested for the coming budget year.

County Commission  -  42,161  -   44,414  -  52,076

County Executive  -  131,231   -  181,004  -  186,418

County Attorney  -  33,290  -  40,000  -  42,000

Election Commission  -   198,393  -  279,642  -  282,778

Register of Deeds  -   15,390  -   42,810  -  60,313

County Buildings  -  385,061  -  670,352  -  439,085  (This does not come out of general funds).

Accounting and Budgeting  -  308,402  -  446,284  -   451,428

Property Assessors Office  -  335,810  -  403,736  -  426,006

Reappraisal Program  -   32,955   -  34,249  -  36,600

County Trustee Office  -  14,706  -  56,696  -  47,193

County Clerk Office  -  27,693  -  88,701  -  93,947

Circuit Court Clerk  -  186,588  -  174,716  -  179,442

General Sessions Court  -  124,693  -  166,699  -  167,470

Chancery Court  -  142,813  -  191,741  -  197,270

Judicial Commissioners  -  28,872  -  30,839  -  31,040

Courtroom Security  -  141,485  -  192,689  -  200,036

Sheriff’s Department  -  1,402,902  -  1,790,296  -  1,872,161

Traffic Control  -  3,370  -  4,276  -  4,550

Drug Enforcement  -  9,355  -  10,000  -  10,000

Adm. Of Sexual Offender Reg.  -  2,909  -  3,478  -  5,500

Jail  -  1,441,920  -  1,921,087  -  2,126,404

Juvenile Services  -  36,366  -  50,933  -  61,389

Fire Prevention and Control  -  2,992  -  2,767  -  2,800

Rescue Squad  -  205,000  -  219,681  -  229,000

Other Emergency Management  -  220,074  -  263,682  -  247,167

County Coroner/Medical Examiner  -  37,970  -  60,000  -  60,000

Other Public Safety  -  2,112  -  3,118  -  2,705

Local Health Center  -  65,023  -  58,793  -  69,650

Rabies and Animal Control  -  56,098  -  69,118  -  69,310

Ambulance Service  -  2,091,646  -  2,071,020  -  2,446,442  ( the middle number was amended during the year to 2,135,030)

Alcohol & Drug Program  -  0  -  30,301  -  30,301

Regional Mental Health  -  20,700  -  20,700  -  20,700

Aid To Dependent Children  -  5,363  -  0  -  0  (Amended Budget  for 13/14 added 7,000)

Other Local Welfare Services  -  23,989  -  37,763  -  57,018

Sanitation Management  -  67,025  -  67,025  -  70,100 (Amended Budget for 13/14 added 2,975)

Transfer Station Formerly Solid Waste  -  0  -  127,501  -  134,794

Other Public Health & Welfare  -  281,094  -  268,271  -  389,300

Senior Citizen Assistance  -  20,660  -  20,660  -  20,660

Libraries  -  103,696  -  127,596  -  129,696

Park and Fair Board  -  42,278  -  51,584  -  54,375

Other Social, Cultural and Rec  -  28,083  -  27,940  -  33,561

Agricultural Extension Service  -  132,996  -  145,467  -  146,595

Forest Service  -  662  -  2,994  -  2,750

Soil Conservation  -  74,614  -  100,260  -  102,163

Flood Control  -  0  -  34,510  -  26,650

Industrial Development  -  896,650  -  66,650  -  76,650

Other Economic & Comm Development  -  30,783  -  30,783  -  30,783

Public Transportation  -  60,734  -  62,000  -  62,000

Airport  -  44,641  -  45,591  -  48,000

Veterans Service  -   14,795  -  16,328  -  16,370

Other Charges  -  556,598  -  585,372  -  670,000

Contributions to Other Agencies  -  100,000  -  105,000  -  112,000

Employee Benefits  -  1,530,588  -  37,343  -  39,800

Miscellaneous  -  734  -  570  -  1,000

Administration of Justice Projects  -  0  -  460,000  -  0

Operating Transfers Out  -  8,537,105  -  9,030  -  1,000,000

Total General Fund  -  20,301,065  -   12,054, 059  -  13,375,446

One time transfers from reserves and change in where benefits are listed account for what appears to be a large drop from the 12/13 numbers to the 13/14 numbers 

Should The County Borrow Ten Million Dollars For Proposed School Improvements?

This topic was requested by a poster.