Saline seeks to complete budget

The air was electric at the Saline County Board Meeting Tuesday night as board members discussed budget issues.

According to the Saline County Treasurer Danny Ragan, in his report, Saline County is estimated to be in the red for the month of November. It would appear that county debt is $160,225. The debt at the moment is contributed to the lack of state funding. A budget will be agreed upon soon, as the fiscal year ends Nov. 30.

"The budget and finance committee is working very hard to come up with a budget for next month," said Joe Jackson, head of the committee. "What is scary is that right now there is close to $1 million in requests than there is expected revenue for next year."

It is clear that cuts will need to be made, and changes are on the horizon for the county. Without the state funding the county will continue to stay in the red.

"There is so much uncertainty that we don't know what is going to happen," said, Carey Harbison, chairman of the board.

With the fluctuation of gas prices, lack of revenue and the state's lack of budget. The board is hard pressed to see this through.

What seems to be causing a lot of the issue are the claims made by different departments. Once a budget is set in place the County Board has no say so in where the funds get spent.

No budget has been set at this time, the Saline County Board is in recess until a decision is made.

Tensions flared as discussion started about the meeting minutes. Several questions arose about who decides what goes in the meeting minutes. There were concerns that important topics were being omitted due to length and possible controversy.

"There are things I think the Public needs to know that aren't in the minutes," said Allan Porter Member of the Saline County Board. "The only things the tax payers know is what goes in those minutes, or that is published in the paper."

Rod Wallace, business owner, attended the board meeting back in September to express his concerns with the way the Tax Assessor's office has been handling their business, and none of his discussion made it into the minutes after the meeting.

"The only things that are required in the minutes are decisions made by this board," said Bob Oglesby, head of the Farm and Land use Committee.

Wallace said that in 2011 his daughter Sarah Wallace purchased property for $80,000. The property was listed at the Assessor's office as being worth $100,000. When Sarah Wallace received her tax bill the figures didn't add up. They appealed the claim and won for a reduction.

Rod Wallace approached the board with his findings and has said that nothing has been changed. Wallace's purpose in attending the meeting was to express that the Assessor's Office should be an elected position, as it stands now that person is appointed to office.

"This is not my fight," said Rod Wallace, in a later interview. "My fight is for all the families in saline county and what the assessor's office is doing to them."

"All the board has to do is make a motion, then put it to vote," said Wallace

No action by the board has been taken toward these matters at this time.

In other County news…

The Board approved 1 year agreements for Lowel Tison, Nathan Rowland, Tammi Jackson that will seal them in as County Public Defenders for the coming fiscal year.