County board eases out before body changes
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mindful that new board members take office Dec. 6, the County Board stuck to a light agenda at the regular meeting on Wednesday.
Last month, the board tentatively decided to allow voters to decide whether or not to erect a Ten Commandments monument on Courthouse property, probably by referendum at the April election. Board members on Wednesday decided to table further action on the issue until the regular meeting in December. Several new members will take office next month, so most members decided it is best to allow the new board to work out the details of a monument.
Kerry Jones was the sole dissenter. He lost in the November General Election and said he wanted to go ahead and resolve the issue at his last meeting.
Board members learned Jan. 18 is the last day to place a referendum on the ballot for the April elections.
The $5.8 million budget put on public display earlier this month was formally approved at the meeting. Budget Committee Chairman Bruce Tolley reminded board members the budget is tight, mostly because of dwindling state money. The state has owed the county as much as $350,000 in expected payments during the last year.
The budget includes quite a few cuts; it is only higher than last year's budget by $14,000, mostly owing to contractually obligated salary increases, Tolley said at the Nov. 3 meeting where the budget was placed on display.
Further cuts could come mid-year, Tolley said.
"We survived this year without reopening. It may not be so easy to survive next year without reopening," Tolley said.
Treasurer Danny Ragan said he will have to do some juggling to avoid a negative balance in the county General Fund at the end of the month. The state made up several late payments this month, but a negative balance of $90,228 is still possible, Ragan said. About $68,000 is expected soon from the state, which offsets most of the problem. The county can get by through withholding a bill or two for a few days until more money comes in, Ragan said.
The county's financial situation is not as dire as the negative balance first appears -- there are certificates of deposit that could be broken if necessary, Ragan said. Operating reserve currently is well over $500,000.
Board members discussed a "legal matter" at length in closed session. After the closed session, Jones made a motion to direct the Negotiating Committee to negotiate a possible severance package with a former employee.
Although board members did not specify the former employee, the only full-time employee who has left county employment recently is former Chief Deputy Todd Fort.
Danny Gibbs voted present on the motion; all others in attendance voted yes.