Budget Hearings Days 2 & 3

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

NOTE: These are my personal notes, and should not be construed as an official record or statement of policy of any kind of the council or any other county entity.
I was unable to get myself organized enough to take effective notes as the hearings transpired Tuesday. In brief, most of the budgets for Courthouse Maintenance, Surveyor, Assessor, Auditor, the Council itself and the Health Department were trimmed slightly. The Council cut the $40,000 for the Boone County Economic Development Corporation, with the intention of funding it from the Food & Beverage fund.

The Health Department has its own levy within the overall levy cap, which the council cut nearly in half last year and returned this year. Even with that increase, the department faces nearly a quarter million dollar shortfall for 2012. The council strongly suggested that the department work to increase revenue or cut costs significantly by this time next year.

Most of the Highway Department budget was also approved as submitted, with no changes, as it comes entirely from state money and does not go through the general fund. The department is operating on the same budget it received in 2001, having cut 7 full-time and 4 part-time employees since then.

Superior Court II –
Submitted budget is not quite $2,000 above last year’s, primarily in anticipation of a large death penalty case making its way to trial. The Council worked with Judge McClure to trim other areas and end up with essentially the same allocation as last year’s budget. A lengthy and informative discussion followed of how the death penalty case would work, what costs might be incurred and what defense costs might be at least partially reimbursed by the state. Even should the case be resolved short of trial, the costs to the county have been and will be substantial, likely in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Judge McClure and the council agreed that approving the slightly increased budget and dealing with additional costs if and when they come in through additional appropriations from the Rainy Day and other funds would be the best way to proceed.

Circuit Court –
Judge David submitted a budget request down about 3% from last year’s approved budget. The judge anticipates reclassification of the court commissioner to a magistrate due to the county’s population, which would mean the state picking up nearly all that salary, but we have no way of knowing when that change will become official so still budgeted for the county to pay it all in 2011. Trimming a few lines and shifting jury related expenditures to the jury fee fund saved $36,000 from the general fund.

Prosecutor –
Submitted budget was up about $30,000 – 4% -- from last year. $10,000 of trial expense budget were shifted to a user fee fund. Prosecutor Meyer requested an additional $8000 for rent to move the child support division across the street into the former Land Title office. It was unclear what additional and ongoing costs would be incurred by the move, and the council discussed the appropriateness of funding the rent &/or other expenses out of the Prosecutor’s child support supplemental incentive fund. That shift was approved. $20,000 was also requested for creation of a child advocacy center, for which the prosecutor has also received commitments from Zionsville and Whitestown, and is also seeking funds from Lebanon. The council agreed on the need for the center and the county’s obligation to support it, but with concerns over the ongoing and hidden costs. The council expressed support for the expenditure, but not out of the general fund. Prosecutor will come in January for an additional appropriation, likely from either Food & Beverage or CCI fund, with a commitment from the council to approve $20,000. Total cuts from the general fund left the approved budget down $10,000, 1.5%, from last year’s.

Recorder –
A recent expansion of the interpretation of what can be paid from the fee-based records perpetuation fund allows all the deputy recorders’ salaries to be shifted to it from the general fund. That and a 30% reduction for state meetings and related expenses left a general fund budget less than half last year’s.

Economic Development Corporation –
Boone EDC’s funding is significantly lower – half or less in many cases – than our neighboring competitors, and on the low end of counties of comparable size in other parts of the state. The EDC has had several successes in recent years, and a few big projects yet to be announced this year. Overall they are looking to increase their budget about $20,000 – less than 10% -- with contributions from the various municipalities to be more competitive. The council took the current general fund budget request to zero, then moved to budget $60,000 from the Food & Beverage Fund.

Jail Maintenance –
Shifted money for staff uniforms to the sheriff’s fee-based corrections fund, and discovered a $10,000 typo. Cut total general fund request by $16,500.

Sheriff –
The submitted budget totaled $4.1M, up 4% from last year. The request included a 3% salary increase for all his employees, an across the board increase which was eliminated. Three additional dispatchers’ salaries were moved to the 911 fund, and a few other shifts and small reductions resulted a total reduction from the general fund of nearly $250,000, ending about 2% lower than last year.