News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Van Buren County Commission will consider a budget that does not include employee raises.
The county’s Committee A which serves as the budget committee approved the spending plan. Mayor Greg Wilson proposed an eight percent raise, but it did not pass.
“It was the reoccurring costs, but you also have to figure in the inflation costs,” Wilson said. “If that was guaranteed something that’s going to be able to slow down, it would have been an a lot stronger look. You don’t know, so you don’t want to put your county in a financial hardship.”
Wilson said the proposed budget increases funding for gasoline and maintenance by about 30 percent. Wilson said that’s due to the county’s concern of rising costs.
“The biggest thing with the budget this year is the cost of inflation,” Wilson said. “But all of our budgets including the road department and school budget are in excess. So, we are operating at a positive right now.”
Wilson said it also does not include new positions or an increase in taxes. Wilson said the county did not have to dip into its fund balance to cover expenditures. Wilson said it will start the fiscal year with a $1.8 million fund balance.
“We were able to do this budget with the current revenue sources that we have for the county,” Wilson said. “That’s why one reason I look at this budget, and I’m glad with how it turned out. Our general debt service fund which is what we use to pay the bond for the building debt is in great shape.”
The County Commission is set to vote on the budget on August 9th.
