County Commissioners Approve $8.3 Million
General Revenue Budget
~$1.1 Million Total Budget Increase over 2017 Paves way for Judicial Center Expansion
January 25, 2018
Isaac Estes-Jones
The Stone County Commission approved the 2018 budget on Thursday, January 21. $8,285,400 was approved for spending in the General Revenue Fund, the largest chunk of the overall county budget. This represents an increase in spending from last year, mostly increasing salaries, as well as making a double payment on the jail.
By paying off the jail bond, the county will be clear to begin the process of expanding the Judicial Center.
Sheriff’s deputies all received a substantial raise, and the County will pay off the original jail bond with a double payment this year, clearing the way for the Judicial Center improvements this year.
“I’m proud of the County Clerk’s Office for all of the hard work they’ve put into making this budget work,” said Presiding Commissioner Dennis Wood. “I am also immensely proud of the work and cooperation shown by all of the county offices in getting this together. It is the responsibility of all of us elected officials to honor and respect the tax dollars of our citizens.”
“The county is in good shape,” said Northern Commissioner Mark Maples. “I think balanced budget is the ultimate objective for the county and that we’re doing good things here,” said Southern Commissioner Hank Smythe. While the county plans to spend more than they anticipate will come in from revenue next year, the commissioners see the expenditures as good investments in the county’s future.
The county is projecting a conservative 1% total growth for 2018. Growth in 2017 was closer to 3%. For all of 2018, the County plans to spend about $1.1 million more than last year.
At the formal budget hearing last Thursday, Wood talked about the importance of salaries in a budget. “Salaries are important, but we are also responsible to not overpay. This is my eighth budget. In 2009, the first budget I worked on, total county salaries were around $4.4 million dollars. In this budget, those salaries have gone up about 24% to a total of $5.5 million. On top of those salaries, employees of the county receive a fringe of approximately $4.88 per hour. The average pay for a county employee is $14.58 per hour before taking those fringe benefits into account, and no county employee makes less than $11 per hour.”
Salaries for Sheriff’s deputies increased approximately $100,000 this year, with the average pay for 2018 coming to $15.98 per hour. “I want to thank the Commission for helping get my guys up to a good level,” Doug Rader, Stone County Sheriff said. “I think we have reasonably reached a place where we are close enough to everywhere around to hire and keep quality deputies.”
The Deputy salary increases did close off a grant funding source for the county. All of Stone County’s deputies now make over the amount required to qualify for the Sheriff Deputy Supplemental Salary Grant from the state. In 2016, the county received about $45,000 from that grant. In 2017, however, that number dropped substantially to $19,000 due to changes in the way the grant was administered at the state level. Last year, the Sheriff requested the county make up the difference in those payments, which they did.
Overall, county salaries are up across the board, but the Commission highlighted the work done by the volunteer Salary Commission over the last year. That group undertook the task of equalizing pay across departments for those with the same/similar job descriptions, while taking into account employment length. What they came up with is a salary scale setting minimum pay for each job description over a 10 year employment history, granted a good performance review. Deputies received a one-time raise over and above the pay scale.
Another big chunk of the GR budget for 2018 is a double payment on the jail. In 2017, the county paid $283,000 in debt service on the jail. This year, they will pay the final $500,000, paying off the last bond. This clears the way for the no-tax increase expansion to the Judicial Center. It will also save the county approximately $15,000 in interest.
The commissioners emphasized several times during the budget hearing that they are spending as much money as they reasonably can out of pocket on this expansion, to decrease the bonded amount as much as possible. They do not want to extend payments on the old loan. This included an increase in the building and grounds maintenance line item to pay for repairs to the jail roof and work on a new parking lot to make up for the spots that will be lost in the expansion. “We’re trying to pay cash as much as possible,” Wood said.
Across all funds, the 2018 Stone County budget totals $22,228,641.83, up from 20,766,143.69 in 2017.
Appropriations for most county offices are listed below. The full 2018 budget is available from the Stone County Clerk’s Office and is available online at http://stonecountyclerk.com/records-and-general.
The County Commission itself will receive $227,108, an increase from 2017 mostly from clerical salaries and increased training and mileage.
The County Clerk’s office was appropriated the full $166,578 it requested.
Elections were appropriated $231,784. This includes a substantial increase in payments for election workers, from $8,484.46 spent in 2017 to $33,000 in 2018. “There are three elections scheduled in 2018, but I always have to budget for one more in case of a special election,” Cindy Elmore, Stone County Clerk said. “Since we have April, August and November elections this year, we have to have money available for an extra if anything happens. 2017 was just a slow year,” she said.
Buildings and grounds anticipate spending $332,948.
Employee fringe benefits are up by about $20,000 in 2018, mostly because salaries are up. The total appropriation is $1,062,706.
The County Treasurer’s Office requested and received just over $101,000, with the deputy salary increasing due to the implementation of the wage scale.
The Collector’s Office was appropriated $316,023.
$173,960 was approved for the Recorder of Deeds.
The Circuit Clerk budget for 2018 totals $89,050 and court administration is $113,891.
The Public Administrator’s office was appropriated $79,550, which is in line with previous years.
The Sheriff’s Office totals $1,734,874, which includes the already discussed deputy salaries, as well as a reduction in the total number of vehicles in the office.
On the jail side, the total appropriation is $810,124, which includes about $50,000 in increases to jailer’s salaries.
The Prosecutor’s Office was granted a budget increase including $10,000 for a new car for the Prosecutor and increases in clerical salaries attributed to the wage scale.
A final line item worth mentioning in the 2018 appropriations is $15,000 for the Lakes Area Child Advocacy Center (CAC). “This is one of the most needed services for our county,” Presiding Commissioner Dennis Wood said of the facility that helps child victims of crime, especially abuse, open up about what they experienced so the criminals can be caught and prosecuted. In 2017, Stone County paid the CAC $12,000. “All three of us are gangbusters for it. Now we want Taney County to do their share to support the center since they use it.”
Isaac Estes-Jones
The Stone County Commission approved the 2018 budget on Thursday, January 21. $8,285,400 was approved for spending in the General Revenue Fund, the largest chunk of the overall county budget. This represents an increase in spending from last year, mostly increasing salaries, as well as making a double payment on the jail.
By paying off the jail bond, the county will be clear to begin the process of expanding the Judicial Center.
Sheriff’s deputies all received a substantial raise, and the County will pay off the original jail bond with a double payment this year, clearing the way for the Judicial Center improvements this year.
“I’m proud of the County Clerk’s Office for all of the hard work they’ve put into making this budget work,” said Presiding Commissioner Dennis Wood. “I am also immensely proud of the work and cooperation shown by all of the county offices in getting this together. It is the responsibility of all of us elected officials to honor and respect the tax dollars of our citizens.”
“The county is in good shape,” said Northern Commissioner Mark Maples. “I think balanced budget is the ultimate objective for the county and that we’re doing good things here,” said Southern Commissioner Hank Smythe. While the county plans to spend more than they anticipate will come in from revenue next year, the commissioners see the expenditures as good investments in the county’s future.
The county is projecting a conservative 1% total growth for 2018. Growth in 2017 was closer to 3%. For all of 2018, the County plans to spend about $1.1 million more than last year.
At the formal budget hearing last Thursday, Wood talked about the importance of salaries in a budget. “Salaries are important, but we are also responsible to not overpay. This is my eighth budget. In 2009, the first budget I worked on, total county salaries were around $4.4 million dollars. In this budget, those salaries have gone up about 24% to a total of $5.5 million. On top of those salaries, employees of the county receive a fringe of approximately $4.88 per hour. The average pay for a county employee is $14.58 per hour before taking those fringe benefits into account, and no county employee makes less than $11 per hour.”
Salaries for Sheriff’s deputies increased approximately $100,000 this year, with the average pay for 2018 coming to $15.98 per hour. “I want to thank the Commission for helping get my guys up to a good level,” Doug Rader, Stone County Sheriff said. “I think we have reasonably reached a place where we are close enough to everywhere around to hire and keep quality deputies.”
The Deputy salary increases did close off a grant funding source for the county. All of Stone County’s deputies now make over the amount required to qualify for the Sheriff Deputy Supplemental Salary Grant from the state. In 2016, the county received about $45,000 from that grant. In 2017, however, that number dropped substantially to $19,000 due to changes in the way the grant was administered at the state level. Last year, the Sheriff requested the county make up the difference in those payments, which they did.
Overall, county salaries are up across the board, but the Commission highlighted the work done by the volunteer Salary Commission over the last year. That group undertook the task of equalizing pay across departments for those with the same/similar job descriptions, while taking into account employment length. What they came up with is a salary scale setting minimum pay for each job description over a 10 year employment history, granted a good performance review. Deputies received a one-time raise over and above the pay scale.
Another big chunk of the GR budget for 2018 is a double payment on the jail. In 2017, the county paid $283,000 in debt service on the jail. This year, they will pay the final $500,000, paying off the last bond. This clears the way for the no-tax increase expansion to the Judicial Center. It will also save the county approximately $15,000 in interest.
The commissioners emphasized several times during the budget hearing that they are spending as much money as they reasonably can out of pocket on this expansion, to decrease the bonded amount as much as possible. They do not want to extend payments on the old loan. This included an increase in the building and grounds maintenance line item to pay for repairs to the jail roof and work on a new parking lot to make up for the spots that will be lost in the expansion. “We’re trying to pay cash as much as possible,” Wood said.
Across all funds, the 2018 Stone County budget totals $22,228,641.83, up from 20,766,143.69 in 2017.
Appropriations for most county offices are listed below. The full 2018 budget is available from the Stone County Clerk’s Office and is available online at http://stonecountyclerk.com/records-and-general.
The County Commission itself will receive $227,108, an increase from 2017 mostly from clerical salaries and increased training and mileage.
The County Clerk’s office was appropriated the full $166,578 it requested.
Elections were appropriated $231,784. This includes a substantial increase in payments for election workers, from $8,484.46 spent in 2017 to $33,000 in 2018. “There are three elections scheduled in 2018, but I always have to budget for one more in case of a special election,” Cindy Elmore, Stone County Clerk said. “Since we have April, August and November elections this year, we have to have money available for an extra if anything happens. 2017 was just a slow year,” she said.
Buildings and grounds anticipate spending $332,948.
Employee fringe benefits are up by about $20,000 in 2018, mostly because salaries are up. The total appropriation is $1,062,706.
The County Treasurer’s Office requested and received just over $101,000, with the deputy salary increasing due to the implementation of the wage scale.
The Collector’s Office was appropriated $316,023.
$173,960 was approved for the Recorder of Deeds.
The Circuit Clerk budget for 2018 totals $89,050 and court administration is $113,891.
The Public Administrator’s office was appropriated $79,550, which is in line with previous years.
The Sheriff’s Office totals $1,734,874, which includes the already discussed deputy salaries, as well as a reduction in the total number of vehicles in the office.
On the jail side, the total appropriation is $810,124, which includes about $50,000 in increases to jailer’s salaries.
The Prosecutor’s Office was granted a budget increase including $10,000 for a new car for the Prosecutor and increases in clerical salaries attributed to the wage scale.
A final line item worth mentioning in the 2018 appropriations is $15,000 for the Lakes Area Child Advocacy Center (CAC). “This is one of the most needed services for our county,” Presiding Commissioner Dennis Wood said of the facility that helps child victims of crime, especially abuse, open up about what they experienced so the criminals can be caught and prosecuted. In 2017, Stone County paid the CAC $12,000. “All three of us are gangbusters for it. Now we want Taney County to do their share to support the center since they use it.”