The proposed 2009-2010 budget totals $11,032,145 or $140,373 less than the current budget. The reduction was achieved in part by eliminating the 3 percent cost of living increase ($125,000) county employees usually receive each year.
In reviewing the proposed budget Wednesday afternoon, council also rejected requests from:
• Treasurer Dianne Wilkins for a salary increase for her two clerks;
• Sheriff David Taylor for funds that would allow him to hire a female deputy who help investigate cases of criminal sexual conduct where women or children are involved;
• and from the Union County Carnegie Library for a 2 mill tax increase and $38,000 for maintenance to help avoid cutting back on its service hours.
Council members expressed regret over not being able to provide employees with a cost of living increase or approve requests for additional funding. They said the cuts were needed to compensate for a $311,000 reduction in state funding. They also pointed to the state of the economy and the county’s high unemployment rate.
“When the state cut us we had to cut,” council member Dora Martin said. “There are a lot of things we would be like to do but we just don’t have the money. There are a lot of people out of work and we don’t feel it is right to raise taxes on people when they are out of work.”
Councilman Tommy Ford expressed similar sentiments, adding that the county has to cut back just like the public.
“The state has cut us $311,000 this year and we’ve got to make that up,” he said. “This is a tough year with all the unemployment. A lot of people have had to cut back themselves.”
Reassessment
In other business, council voted unanimously to approve third and final reading of an ordinance delaying property tax reassessment until 2011. Without the postponement, reassessment would have had to be completed and implemented in 2010.
This is the second time in seven years council has delayed reassessment for a year. It was delayed six years ago to give the county more time to implement the state law requiring reassessment to take place every five years. The new delay gives taxpayers more time to prepare for reassessment and cope with the economic downturn.
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