Public Hearing on Franklin County FY15 Budget Set for Tuesday

Franklin County Commissioners will hear from the public Tuesday night on the proposed fiscal 2015 budget.

At a work session earlier this month, County manager John Phillips outlined the proposed expenses.

“For the fiscal 2015 we’re looking at total expenses of $14,224,940.10,” Phillips said. “This is actually a slight decrease from what we were showing last year. It’s actually a reduction of around $108,000.”

Total projected revenue for FY15, Phillips said is $14, 309,842.

Phillips said the new budget includes adding one new maintenance worker and a 2% across the board raise for all county employees.  

But those plans might not happen.  The Sheriff’s department FY15 budget is proposing a $600,000 increase from this year. At a recent work session with the Sheriff’s department, Chief Deputy Jimmy LeCroy said the total proposed budget for FY15 is $3.8 million dollars, up from $3.2 million in this fiscal year – over a half million dollar increase.

Commissioner Jeff Jacques noted that the county was planning to use its anticipated general fund increase for other increases and additions to other departments, but with the huge increase in the Sheriff’s office, those plans might not happen.

“Going into this budget, what I had looked at is number one, wanting to do something for our county employees because it’s been awhile and we’ve been through a very tough economy,” Jacques said. “And my second goal would be to actually give something back to the taxpayers. And now I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that given a $600,000 budget overrun. I’m concerned.”

But the Sheriff said those increases were needed to pay for housing out violent inmates in other facilities, to cover overtime, and pay for new vehicles.

Commission chair Thomas Bridges then directed county manager John Phillips to go back over the budget to try to find some extra money.

He also directed LeCroy to go back to the drawing board and try to reallocate line items and make cuts to the Sheriff’s proposed budget in order to accommodate their proposed increases.

Tuesday’s public hearing on the budget takes place at 5:30p just before the regular work session at the Justice Center in Carnesville.