Commissioners paint grim picture for 2011 budget
Lead Summary
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The Highland County Board of Commissioners met with the majority of county department managers Wednesday, Dec. 29 to inform them that increases in employees’ salaries or wages for 2011 would not be endorsed by the commission.
Representatives from most county departments, including the courts, prosecutor, sheriff, engineer, elections, recorder, treasurer and auditor attended the meeting.
Commissioners met with the coroner’s office on Dec. 22.
County departments that selected to go ahead and implement increases in wages for 2011 were instructed that they would need to trim 20 percent from their respective budget in order to offset the additional costs associated with the increase, such as retirement benefits, Workers’ Compensation, unemployment and Medicare.
“We are still trying to get our budget set for 2011,” Commission President Shane Wilkin said. “Our preliminary figure is $8.3 million, and that’s going to change, somewhat. We have tried to give each of you a total dollar figure to work with, and not try to micromanage your budgets.
“Some departments met their bottom line, but when their budgets came back, there were changes in salaries and wages. We, as a board, are not endorsing increases in salaries and wages. If you decide to increase salaries, it will not be endorsed by this board.
“If you do increase salaries, you will have to knock 20 percent out of your budget to cover the PERS (retirement benefits), Medicare, Workers’ Comp., etc.
“If it’s a $10,000 increase, you need to take $2,000 from someplace else.”
Wilkin added, “If you come to us later in the year and need more money...well, I wouldn’t come to this office if you choose to increase salaries. Some offices have other funds available; that’s their department’s discretion. I don’t have to agree or disagree. I don’t have any control over it.”
Commissioners Wilkin, Gary Heaton and Tom Horst requested any budget modifications to be submitted by 2 p.m. Wednesday. Wilkin told The Highland County Press Wednesday afternoon that deadline had been extended until Thursday. On Thursday, Wilkin said the budget modifications had been made without increases.
Highland County Engineer Dean Otworth asked the commissioners: “What’s the likelihood of more cuts (in state funding)?”
“We have tried to allow for reductions that might come our way,” Wilkin said. “My request to the governor’s office is ‘Please, don’t wait for July 1 to tell us of more cuts.’
“We have heard that local government fundings, indigent attorney reimbursements and homestead are in play for more cuts. The worst-case scenario if they cut all three is a $1 million cut — and if that happens, we’ll all be right back here. If you’re unhappy now, you’ll really be unhappy then.”
Wilkin said it would be “very difficult” to operate, should the county be forced to cut another $1 million.
The commissioners have already trimmed a budget of approximately $11 million down to $8.3 million, of which approximately $5 million is derived from sales tax revenues.
“We basically have been living off sales tax revenues,” Horst said.
“With unemployment running out (for more than 1,000 county residents), we now have to worry about that.”
Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley said the state’s local government funding will continue through June 2011.
“So these projections in cuts are for the second half of 2011?”
Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward asked.
“Yes,” Fawley replied. “The (state) budget’s in place through June.”
“Our other problem is lingering debt,” Wilkin added. “We have a loan with the Ohio Department of Development on the Leesburg Industrial Park that we have to pay back. We have asked for another deferment on the loan. This debt will be with us until about 2025.”
According to Heaton, the county owes about three years of back payments on the loan. “We are paying the loan service of about $718 per year, but that could go to $70,000 a year.”
The county also is still paying on previous audits, Wilkin said.
“We really appreciate everything you are doing,” Wilkin told department managers. “I know it’s difficult. It’s difficult up here, too. We thank you for all your hard work.”
“We aren’t asking you to do anything we haven’t done ourselves,” Heaton said. “We’ve made cuts, too. We had a budget of $658,000 that’s been cut to $317,000.”
• In other action, commissioners informed Dr. Keith Smith, director of the Ohio State University Extension, that the county will participate in a multi-county extension program in 2011 with Adams and Brown counties. Highland County will commit $50,000 with another $50,000 in contributions for its share of the program.[[In-content Ad]]
Representatives from most county departments, including the courts, prosecutor, sheriff, engineer, elections, recorder, treasurer and auditor attended the meeting.
Commissioners met with the coroner’s office on Dec. 22.
County departments that selected to go ahead and implement increases in wages for 2011 were instructed that they would need to trim 20 percent from their respective budget in order to offset the additional costs associated with the increase, such as retirement benefits, Workers’ Compensation, unemployment and Medicare.
“We are still trying to get our budget set for 2011,” Commission President Shane Wilkin said. “Our preliminary figure is $8.3 million, and that’s going to change, somewhat. We have tried to give each of you a total dollar figure to work with, and not try to micromanage your budgets.
“Some departments met their bottom line, but when their budgets came back, there were changes in salaries and wages. We, as a board, are not endorsing increases in salaries and wages. If you decide to increase salaries, it will not be endorsed by this board.
“If you do increase salaries, you will have to knock 20 percent out of your budget to cover the PERS (retirement benefits), Medicare, Workers’ Comp., etc.
“If it’s a $10,000 increase, you need to take $2,000 from someplace else.”
Wilkin added, “If you come to us later in the year and need more money...well, I wouldn’t come to this office if you choose to increase salaries. Some offices have other funds available; that’s their department’s discretion. I don’t have to agree or disagree. I don’t have any control over it.”
Commissioners Wilkin, Gary Heaton and Tom Horst requested any budget modifications to be submitted by 2 p.m. Wednesday. Wilkin told The Highland County Press Wednesday afternoon that deadline had been extended until Thursday. On Thursday, Wilkin said the budget modifications had been made without increases.
Highland County Engineer Dean Otworth asked the commissioners: “What’s the likelihood of more cuts (in state funding)?”
“We have tried to allow for reductions that might come our way,” Wilkin said. “My request to the governor’s office is ‘Please, don’t wait for July 1 to tell us of more cuts.’
“We have heard that local government fundings, indigent attorney reimbursements and homestead are in play for more cuts. The worst-case scenario if they cut all three is a $1 million cut — and if that happens, we’ll all be right back here. If you’re unhappy now, you’ll really be unhappy then.”
Wilkin said it would be “very difficult” to operate, should the county be forced to cut another $1 million.
The commissioners have already trimmed a budget of approximately $11 million down to $8.3 million, of which approximately $5 million is derived from sales tax revenues.
“We basically have been living off sales tax revenues,” Horst said.
“With unemployment running out (for more than 1,000 county residents), we now have to worry about that.”
Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley said the state’s local government funding will continue through June 2011.
“So these projections in cuts are for the second half of 2011?”
Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward asked.
“Yes,” Fawley replied. “The (state) budget’s in place through June.”
“Our other problem is lingering debt,” Wilkin added. “We have a loan with the Ohio Department of Development on the Leesburg Industrial Park that we have to pay back. We have asked for another deferment on the loan. This debt will be with us until about 2025.”
According to Heaton, the county owes about three years of back payments on the loan. “We are paying the loan service of about $718 per year, but that could go to $70,000 a year.”
The county also is still paying on previous audits, Wilkin said.
“We really appreciate everything you are doing,” Wilkin told department managers. “I know it’s difficult. It’s difficult up here, too. We thank you for all your hard work.”
“We aren’t asking you to do anything we haven’t done ourselves,” Heaton said. “We’ve made cuts, too. We had a budget of $658,000 that’s been cut to $317,000.”
• In other action, commissioners informed Dr. Keith Smith, director of the Ohio State University Extension, that the county will participate in a multi-county extension program in 2011 with Adams and Brown counties. Highland County will commit $50,000 with another $50,000 in contributions for its share of the program.[[In-content Ad]]