County commissioners finalize 2016 budget

Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Noah Jones/Daily Mail Northern Commissioner, Neal Gerster, left, Presiding Commissioner, Joe Hardin, middle and Southern Commissioner Everett Wolfe discuss the budget, Monday morning.

The 2016 Vernon County budget was finalized Monday afternoon at the county commissioner's office.

After short meetings before and after lunch, the three commissioners were able to decide on a budget totaling $4,686,321 to run the county's departments and have an estimated cash balance of $47,247.54 at the end of December 2016.

The budget includes $108,534.32 for the county commission, including $96,784.32 for salaries. The county clerk's department was budgeted for $180,051.48 including $3,000 for mileage and training and $7,775 for office expenses.

Because 2016 is an election year, the commissioners also appropriated $118,999.90 including $110,000 for the payment of clerks and judges. Also $3,000 has been approved of to cover voter registration.

The Commissioners have allotted $243,737.38 for building and ground maintenance. This figure will include an approved $50,000 for utilities, $84,000 for courthouse restoration -- $54,000 more than last year -- and $30,000 for repairs and upkeep.

The employee fringe benefits were appropriated $630,551.08. The commissioners appropriated them more than was requested in all cases but comp-time payoff.

Social security for 2016 requested $124,062.94, and the commissioners appropriated $129,754.14, LAGERS requested $147,700.25 and was budgeted $153,996.15. Insurance was requested at $271,326.72, but was allotted $277,786.84. Unemployment was appropriated $9,500.63, but requested $9,266.53.

The treasurer's department was allotted $145,303.37. The recorder was allotted $95,584.03 to operate. The figure includes the recorder of Deed's salary, $47,755.14 and $15,400 in office expenses.

The circuit clerk will be allotted $53,700, including $24,000 for equipment and $26,200 for office expenses.

The commissioners also added $15,000 to cover one-half of the salary of an economic developer, so long as they can partner with another entity, such as the city of Nevada to pay half of the salary, said Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster.

In the departmental revenues and expenditures document for Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher, the prisoner housing line of the budget was appropriated an extra $13,000 to add on to the previous $2,000, allotting the jail $15,000 for prisoner housing. The total expenditures of the Sheriff's department equal $1,164,188.09.

The commissioners also went over the law enforcement sales tax fund, Monday.

The 2016 revenue of the fund is estimated to be $1,027,000, with $1,025,000 of revenue stemming from sales tax and $2,000 from interest income.

The budget will sit in the commissioner's office for the public to view and "scrutinize" Gerster said. Presiding commissioner Joe Hardin said there will be a final budget hearing Tuesday morning, Jan. 26 at 10.

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