Commission warns of more cuts
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
As difficult as 2009 has been for many county departments, the beginning of the new year isn’t necessarily a harbinger of better times. In a letter dated Nov. 4, Highland County Commission President Shane Wilkin advised all general fund department heads that new budget revisions will be needed in order to reflect the most recent estimated revenues for 2010.
“Bill Fawley {Highland County auditor} estimated general fund revenues of $7,946,685 for the 2010 budget year,” Wilkin said in the letter. “That figure is $2,680,477 lower than the original 2009 appropriation of $10,627,162. At the end of the first quarter of 2009, we reduced the total appropriation even further to $10,058,052, shrinking the difference to $2,111,367. Your initial 2010 budget requests total $9,850,208, which is lower yet, but exceeds Bill’s estimate by $1,903,523. Now we must work to reduce the appropriations by this amount.
Wilkin continued, “I am asking that all general fund department heads revise their {respective} 2010 appropriations to better reflect the anticipated revenue of $7,946,685. I am aware of and appreciate the efforts that each of you has put forth throughout this difficult time and look forward to your continued cooperation.”
Commissioners Wilkin, Gary Heaton and Tom Horst have continually thanked the county department heads for working together during the ongoing reductions in budgets.
• In an ongoing dispute between neighbors in East Monroe, commissioners voted, 3-0, to vacate an alley, after a petition was filed on behalf of Minerva Seitz. Ms. Seitz and a neighbor, William Manor, have had a disagreement since a fence was put up through the abandoned alley.
An issue of encroachment was brought to the commissioners, however, Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey advised that “Encroachment is not your issue. If you determine it’s in the best interest of the public, you can close it based on that. The fence would be a {legal} argument between property owners.”
Manor contended he placed the fence as advised by Fairfield Township trustees. Grandey told commissioners that he spoke by telephone with Ike Hodson, the township’s fiscal officer, and that Hodson said the trustees had suggested a fence could be erected to resolve a “junk complaint.” According to Grandey, Hodson said it was only a suggestion that Manor put up a fence.
Larry Hayes, an attorney for Seitz, then pointed out that if the alley was not vacated, there were outstanding issues on both sides regarding encroachments into the existing alley.
“This is an alley that’s never been used by {today’s} public,” Hayes said. “It’s been abandoned, but not officially. If you don’t vacate it, then there are encroachments that have been there for a long time.”
The township trustees who were present did not object to vacating the alley.
“We have a petition to close it,” Horst said.
“There’s no way they {the neighbors} can work it out if you don’t abandon it,” Hayes said.
Horst then made a motion to that effect. After a second by Heaton, the commissioners voted unanimously to vacate the alley. The neighbors then agreed to discuss possible solutions.
HCDD budget discussed
• Commissioners also met with Charles Biggert and Bryan Miller of the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities on general fund and Help Me Grow budget issues. An occasionally contentious discussion involved not only the department’s budget, but also a number of communication issues between the commission, the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Families and Children First Council.
“We need to get this behind us,” Heaton said. “It was all a misunderstanding. We felt you were asking us for more money other than what was in your budget.”
“The document was right in front of you,” Biggert said. “You’ve not accepted any information I’ve given you.”
Biggert said a number of e-mails between the departments presented an unfair impression of the HCDD budget.
Heaton stressed that more direct communication in the future would be beneficial. Biggert and Miller agreed.
Law enforcement funding
• In other discussion, commissioners and the prosecutor briefly talked about a possible levy earmarked for law enforcement agencies. “If our revenues keep going down like they are, we may have to consider it,” Heaton said. “A good 60 percent of the budget is geared toward law enforcement agencies and the courts.”
According to Grandey, the statutory requirements for the sheriff’s office are essentially the courts and the jail. “That’s it,” Grandey said.
Heaton referenced a recent online poll at www.highlandcountypress.com which asked the public what governmental services were most important to them.
“It all goes back to what services people want and what they are willing to pay for,” Heaton said.
• Commissioners reiterated that the 2009 end-of-year carry-over balance is estimated at approximately $200,000, not $2 million.
This was an estimate – barring any unforeseen additional expenses – provided by Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley at the Oct. 28 commission meeting.
• Commissioners have agreed to sell 3 1/2 acres in the Leesburg industrial park.
Commissioners approved the following resolutions, all
by 3-0 votes:
• The authorization of additional appropriation within the Clerk of Courts budget, from Clerk of Courts computer fund to the amount of $14,580.
• The modification within the Senior Citizens budget from Health Insurance to Unemployment Compensation in the amount of $1,500.
• The modification within the Board of Elections Budget from Workers Compensation to Salary Officials, $1,328.64; Salary Employees, $7,469.26; and Salary Part-time, $250, for the total amount of $8,957.90.
• The modification within the County Airport budget from County Buildings Insurance to County Airport, Other Expense, in the amount of $4,300.
• The authorization of additional appropriation within the Family & Children First Council budget, from Unappropriated funds to
Non-Behavioral GRF, in the amount of $3,000.
• The authorization of additional appropriation within the MRDD budget, from Unappropriated funds to “eMAP,” in the amount of $37,287.
• The authorization of modification and additional appropriation within the MRDD Help Me Grow budget, from Unappropriation funds to
Help Me Grow, in the amount of $18,283, and the modification of the following: from Salaries to Equipment, in the amount of $1,000; from Salaries to Contract Services, in the amount of $750; from PERS to Contract Services, in the amount of $68; from Insurance to Contract Services, in the amount of $2,758.49; from Insurance to Medicare, in the amount of $1,332; from insurance to Other Expense, in the amount of $2,381.51; from Travel to Contract Services, in the amount of $10,000; from Un-appropriated funds to Rental, in the amount of $12,500, and Other Expense, in the amount of $5,783; and from Rental to Supplies, in the amount of $1,797.[[In-content Ad]]
“Bill Fawley {Highland County auditor} estimated general fund revenues of $7,946,685 for the 2010 budget year,” Wilkin said in the letter. “That figure is $2,680,477 lower than the original 2009 appropriation of $10,627,162. At the end of the first quarter of 2009, we reduced the total appropriation even further to $10,058,052, shrinking the difference to $2,111,367. Your initial 2010 budget requests total $9,850,208, which is lower yet, but exceeds Bill’s estimate by $1,903,523. Now we must work to reduce the appropriations by this amount.
Wilkin continued, “I am asking that all general fund department heads revise their {respective} 2010 appropriations to better reflect the anticipated revenue of $7,946,685. I am aware of and appreciate the efforts that each of you has put forth throughout this difficult time and look forward to your continued cooperation.”
Commissioners Wilkin, Gary Heaton and Tom Horst have continually thanked the county department heads for working together during the ongoing reductions in budgets.
• In an ongoing dispute between neighbors in East Monroe, commissioners voted, 3-0, to vacate an alley, after a petition was filed on behalf of Minerva Seitz. Ms. Seitz and a neighbor, William Manor, have had a disagreement since a fence was put up through the abandoned alley.
An issue of encroachment was brought to the commissioners, however, Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey advised that “Encroachment is not your issue. If you determine it’s in the best interest of the public, you can close it based on that. The fence would be a {legal} argument between property owners.”
Manor contended he placed the fence as advised by Fairfield Township trustees. Grandey told commissioners that he spoke by telephone with Ike Hodson, the township’s fiscal officer, and that Hodson said the trustees had suggested a fence could be erected to resolve a “junk complaint.” According to Grandey, Hodson said it was only a suggestion that Manor put up a fence.
Larry Hayes, an attorney for Seitz, then pointed out that if the alley was not vacated, there were outstanding issues on both sides regarding encroachments into the existing alley.
“This is an alley that’s never been used by {today’s} public,” Hayes said. “It’s been abandoned, but not officially. If you don’t vacate it, then there are encroachments that have been there for a long time.”
The township trustees who were present did not object to vacating the alley.
“We have a petition to close it,” Horst said.
“There’s no way they {the neighbors} can work it out if you don’t abandon it,” Hayes said.
Horst then made a motion to that effect. After a second by Heaton, the commissioners voted unanimously to vacate the alley. The neighbors then agreed to discuss possible solutions.
HCDD budget discussed
• Commissioners also met with Charles Biggert and Bryan Miller of the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities on general fund and Help Me Grow budget issues. An occasionally contentious discussion involved not only the department’s budget, but also a number of communication issues between the commission, the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Families and Children First Council.
“We need to get this behind us,” Heaton said. “It was all a misunderstanding. We felt you were asking us for more money other than what was in your budget.”
“The document was right in front of you,” Biggert said. “You’ve not accepted any information I’ve given you.”
Biggert said a number of e-mails between the departments presented an unfair impression of the HCDD budget.
Heaton stressed that more direct communication in the future would be beneficial. Biggert and Miller agreed.
Law enforcement funding
• In other discussion, commissioners and the prosecutor briefly talked about a possible levy earmarked for law enforcement agencies. “If our revenues keep going down like they are, we may have to consider it,” Heaton said. “A good 60 percent of the budget is geared toward law enforcement agencies and the courts.”
According to Grandey, the statutory requirements for the sheriff’s office are essentially the courts and the jail. “That’s it,” Grandey said.
Heaton referenced a recent online poll at www.highlandcountypress.com which asked the public what governmental services were most important to them.
“It all goes back to what services people want and what they are willing to pay for,” Heaton said.
• Commissioners reiterated that the 2009 end-of-year carry-over balance is estimated at approximately $200,000, not $2 million.
This was an estimate – barring any unforeseen additional expenses – provided by Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley at the Oct. 28 commission meeting.
• Commissioners have agreed to sell 3 1/2 acres in the Leesburg industrial park.
Commissioners approved the following resolutions, all
by 3-0 votes:
• The authorization of additional appropriation within the Clerk of Courts budget, from Clerk of Courts computer fund to the amount of $14,580.
• The modification within the Senior Citizens budget from Health Insurance to Unemployment Compensation in the amount of $1,500.
• The modification within the Board of Elections Budget from Workers Compensation to Salary Officials, $1,328.64; Salary Employees, $7,469.26; and Salary Part-time, $250, for the total amount of $8,957.90.
• The modification within the County Airport budget from County Buildings Insurance to County Airport, Other Expense, in the amount of $4,300.
• The authorization of additional appropriation within the Family & Children First Council budget, from Unappropriated funds to
Non-Behavioral GRF, in the amount of $3,000.
• The authorization of additional appropriation within the MRDD budget, from Unappropriated funds to “eMAP,” in the amount of $37,287.
• The authorization of modification and additional appropriation within the MRDD Help Me Grow budget, from Unappropriation funds to
Help Me Grow, in the amount of $18,283, and the modification of the following: from Salaries to Equipment, in the amount of $1,000; from Salaries to Contract Services, in the amount of $750; from PERS to Contract Services, in the amount of $68; from Insurance to Contract Services, in the amount of $2,758.49; from Insurance to Medicare, in the amount of $1,332; from insurance to Other Expense, in the amount of $2,381.51; from Travel to Contract Services, in the amount of $10,000; from Un-appropriated funds to Rental, in the amount of $12,500, and Other Expense, in the amount of $5,783; and from Rental to Supplies, in the amount of $1,797.[[In-content Ad]]