Budget hearings for coroner, county clerk and prosecutor

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

jbrann.ndm@gmail.com

The Vernon County Commission is hoping to finalize and adopt its 2017 budget this week.

"We are grateful to every office for the way each came in prepared for the budget hearings and were conservative in their revenue projections and expenditure requests," said presiding commissioner, Joe Hardin.

The commissioners want to build up a capital improvement fund, which could be used for emergency needs and special projects.

"It was because we had already built up some funds in this account that we could meet the needs of the jail when its hot water system failed last year," said Hardin.

The primary cause for the failure was corrosion. Although original plans for the jail called for a water softening system, this was deleted prior to construction.

Besides approving a tankless, on-demand water system, the commission also had a softener system put in, paid out of the capital improvement fund.

The final three hearings began with the coroner who, due to a significant increase in post-mortem exams last year, needs to purchase additional supplies; his requests received tentative approval.

Review of the county clerk's office involved examination of three funds related to elections and one covering the many other areas, which the clerk's office manages.

The office of Mike Buehler, county clerk, handles human resources and payroll for county employees, billing and receipts for county vendors, provides secretarial services for the commission, handles data entry for personal, property as well as railroad and utility taxes and works with the board of equalization.

With this calendar year having elections only in April and possibly a special one in August, the amount of money sought by the clerk's office is down considerably when compared to last year.

In discussions with the clerk, the commission affirmed the need to begin a multi-year replacement of election related equipment yet asked the start of this process be delayed for a year since savings from the refinanced jail bonds begin in 2018.

The commission raised the possibility of reorganizing the clerk's office and reducing the number of full-time equivalent positions. This matter will be taken up later in the year.

The Office of the Prosecutor for Vernon County is charged with the responsibility of enforcing the criminal law. Crimes perpetrated by persons less than 17 years old are handled in the Juvenile Court and charges are initiated by the Vernon County Juvenile Officer.

Besides Brandi McInroy, the county prosecutor, her office has three other employees.

The Prosecutor's office has a victim-witness assistance program, which serves as an advocate for victims and witnesses and provides guidance through the maze of the criminal justice system.

The Child Support enforcement Unit works to secure wage withholding orders to enforce existing orders. The SEU can establish child support payments through an administrative order. If paternity needs to be established, the case comes to the prosecutor's office to file and prosecute a lawsuit to determine paternity and to establish an order of support. If a parent isn't paying support, the case comes to SEU for legal action.

The Bad Check Unit collects more than $150,000 each year for area merchants, for checks, which were written but not paid. The prosecutor estimates that her office is given the opportunity to collect only one in three bad checks in Vernon County. The rest are handled by private collection firms whereas the work of the prosecutor's office costs the merchant nothing.

For 2017, the prosecutor focused on two requests, the purchase of new law books and a redoing of the office area which houses the other three employees.

The commission approved these requests but asked some of the money be sourced from funds, which are not supported by tax dollars but are paid by defendants who plead guilty.

Back on Dec. 12, a representative from Missouri's Office of State Courts Administrator met with the county commission as well as with David Heumader, court administrator for the 28th Judicial Circuit, which includes Barton, Cedar, Dade and Vernon Counties.

As a memo dated Dec. 12 from Heumader states, "Vernon County pays the expenses for the circuit and bills the other three counties for their proportionate share each month. Each county is prorated as follows: Barton -- 22.38 percent, Cedar -- 25.23 percent, Dade -- 14.22 percent and Vernon -- 38.17 percent."

The circuit court budget, as paid by the county, includes office expenses related to the circuit and associate judge, court administrator, court reporter and those in the county clerk.

Salaries of judges, court administrator, court reporter, juvenile office and circuit clerk are provided by the state.

Hardin said, "It is our intention to work hard on the budget on Tuesday, Jan. 10 and wrap things up the following day."

While Hardin noted last week was a marathon, squeezing the hearings for every office in four days, it was also informative and quite positive.

"Those who hold and manage the elected offices here in the court house, work hard with what they have on behalf of the people of this county," said Hardin. "Since we told them up front to limit their requests, we didn't have to trim too much and yet a lot will get done in each office."

The commission itself is about to mark the completion of two bridges even as it looks forward to work on Katy Allen Lake and restoration work on the courthouse.

When asked where the funds for these projects were coming from, Hardin responded with one word, "Grants."

"Local funders, including a $35,000 3M Eco grant are the source for the $90,580 Katy Allen project and two rounds of state preservation grants will fund work on the stonework and drainage at the courthouse."

In addition, federal money passed through the state to the county, will fund two bridges to be built by contractors plus there will be several smaller ones constructed by the county crew.

Said Hardin, "While the budget is lean, we're not going to be sitting on our hands. It is our intention that by this time next year, the people of this county will be able look back on 2017 and see we've got a lot done."

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