The Jefferson County Quorum Court on Monday approved a 2017 budget for the County General fund, but not before an elected official voiced his concerns.
With only nine members of the county’s legislative body on hand, the court approved unanimously to use the 2016 budget for 2017. That budget totals $8,687,626.27, which will be 90 percent of projected revenue for this year.
Initially, Justice of the Peace Ted Harden, co-chairman of the Quorum Court Finance Committee, proposed using 2016 actual expenditures instead of the entire budget, saying he had consulted with County Attorney Jackie Harris, who advised him that the actual 2016 budget could not be used this year.
By using only 2016 expenditures, the budget would be $8,488,191.39, leaving a $200,000 deficit.
The first to voice concern about the issue was Sixth Division Circuit Judge Earnest E. Brown Jr., who said using only last year’s expenditures would result in a $76,000 decrease for his office.
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“We would be in worse shape that where we started,” Brown said. “I won’t be able to fill all my positions.”
Brown said his office is barely able to operate now, and he filled three positions this year that he will not be able to pay.
He also talked about bonuses that were awarded to some county employees in departments that had funds left over at the end of the year and said he didn’t do that, even though he had money left over.
“We’ve had four or five homicides recently, and half of them involve juveniles,” Brown said. “Do not kill what we are trying to do.”
Jefferson County Judge Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV, who earlier said that there would be no bonuses this year, told Brown, “We don’t want to kill your program.”
Late Monday night, Harden sent a text message to the Commercial saying that there was a misunderstanding between Harris and himself, and that Harris said using the actual budget was acceptable.
Harden, who had supported the idea of using the 2016 budget in previous meetings before talking to Harris, said in the text that “We are OK with the action taken and I am glad.”
Wilkins and Dr. Herman Ginger, the other co-chair of the Finance Committee, both supported the idea of using the entire 2016 budget rather than just 2016 expenditures, with Ginger saying that if the Quorum Court had to go back later and correct the matter, they could.
This was the fourth time this month that the Quorum Court has tackled budget issues, including budget hearings early in the month, a regular meeting of the Quorum Court, a special meeting last week and the one held Monday.
After the budget hearings, county elected officials and department heads submitted their requested budgets, which were more than $835,000 over the amount the county could legally appropriate. A second request to the elected officials resulted in another proposed cut but that amount was still over the legal amount by more than $419,000.
“I recommend that we approve the 2016 budget for this year and move forward,” Wilkins said
In addition, Harden and Ginger, Justices of the Peace Reginald Adams, Mandy Alford, Conley Byrd, Melanie Johnson Dumas, Jimmy Fisher, Brenda Bishop Gaddy and Danny Holcomb voted to approve the budget.
Justices of the Peace Agee, Caldwell, Jackson and Wright were absent Monday night.