Vernon County Commissioners continue budget crunching

Saturday, January 8, 2011
Vernon County officails work diligently on the county's 2011 budget during an open hearing on Friday, Jan 7 where they reviewed the budgets of the University Extension Office and the Vernon County Sheriff's Office. From left: County Clerk; Tammi Beach, Presiding Commissioner; Bonnie McCord, Northern Commissioner; Neal Gerster and Southern Commissioner Kennon Shaw.

Nevada, Mo. -- With the county budget due out for public inspection by Friday, Jan. 14, the Vernon County commission has spent the past week meeting with office holders and going over the numbers so they can have all the details worked out in time for the public viewing of the lengthy and complex document.

Even though it is too early to tell exactly how things are going to pan out, there are some things that are certain. One of those things is cuts in state funding and other sources of revenue. "Our main trouble is the governor has cut out what he pays, but he still expects us to provide the services," said Southern Commissioner Kennon Shaw.

Cuts come in a number of different ways. Some of them are outright reductions in the amount of money given for a specific program or department. For instance, the Vernon County Sheriff's Office started out receiving $22 per day for housing state prisoners in the new jail, but that figure was dropped to $19 and now there is talk that it will fall as low as $15 this year.

Some of the decline in revenue is technology driven. The bad check fund in the county prosecutor's office used to bring in tens of thousands of dollars annually, but now that fewer people write checks that fund has dwindled. According to Prosecutor Lynn M. Ewing III, more people are using credit and debit cards and there are no funds that his office can recover in that situation. Ewing said that he realizes that the state cuts the money and raises the expectations. He called his projected budget a "wish list," and told the commission "I have presented my proposal, now you tell me what I get."

Some cuts are more complex. The state currently pays the county assessor's office $4 for each parcel of property in the county. "We're hearing rumblings of them paying $3," said Presiding Commissioner Bonnie McCord. What's more is that the state will not pay for parcels that are broken up due to a frozen parcel count. For instance, if a landowner takes a 100-acre parcel and divides it into five 20-acre parcels, the county still only gets the $4 for the original 100-acre parcel. Since there are 56,929 parcels in the county, it doesn't take a math wizard to understand the impact cuts in this area can have on the county budget.

Not all areas have seen reductions in revenues. The county's sales tax revenues are up, according to Vernon County Clerk Tammi Beach. That may provide the county a bit of relief and maybe a cushion not counted on before the numbers were actually totaled. "We're pleasantly surprised that sales taxes are up," said McCord.

Many county offices have managed to keep costs to a minimum for the past year and that has also helped. For example, 28th Circuit Court Presiding Judge James R. Bickel told the commission, "the good news is that the budget's in good shape." But Court Administrator David Heumader said the bad news is he thinks the copier may go out this year.

Many office holders echoed that thought. Some of them have been limping along with old equipment or outdated software and it has to be replaced. The assessor's office could use as many as four new computers and possibly a software upgrade. The court clerk's office needs a new copier. The computers in the prosecutor's office are working on a 10-year-old operating system. The county Public Administrator Tammy Bond says her office can use some new technology, too. And she told the commission that she would like to have a full-time staffer. Her office currently has a part-time staffer, but state law says that for every 50 clients served by the office, the administrator may have a full-time staff member.

Other offices mentioned needing staff members as well. Some of the positions are not new; they are positions that were not filled when they became vacant. Some of them may be filled. The good news is that the county has no plans to reduce the current staff. However, the commission members doubted there would be any raises this year other than step increases. Everything is tight and much of it hinges on the shape of the sheriff's budget, because it is the biggest part of the budget.

There is at least one area of the budget that is doing well. The road and bridge fund is taking care of itself because of the funding method that the county has been using to build its bridges. The state has been reimbursing the county 100 percent, said Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster. The county is building one bridge right now and has three more in the works which means "instead of laying off like some, we're keeping our people busy," said Gerster.

All of the departmental budgets will be in by the first of the week and the commission will spend the week sharpening pencils, crunching numbers and trying to allocate the needed or wished for funds to the county offices. "I feel pretty good about it right now," said McCord, but the sheriff's budget was not in yet and McCord said that the new jail "is a blessing, but it comes with a price tag."

That price tag and the rest of the completed 2011 Vernon County budget can be seen in the county commission office on the second floor of the courthouse on weekdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 to 4:30 p.m., beginning Friday, Jan 14 and continuing through Wednesday, Jan. 26.

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