September 18, 2024 - The Shelby County Commissioners’ Court adopted a budget for the 2024-2025 Fiscal year and new tax rate during their Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Budget Workshop providing raises for many.
Major adjustments were made to what had been a proposed budget presented during the August 21 meeting which developed into lively discussion.
Commissioner Tom Bellmyer moved to adopt the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget with amendments to the salaries of the Elections Administrator and the Chief Deputy of the Tax Assessor-Collector’s office and a change to the Senate Bill 22 fund 57.
Roscoe Mcswain, Commissioner Precinct 1, then moved to adopt the budget as Judge Allison Harbison presented it with amendments he offered as follows:
1. Change the increments on the funding for Road and Bridge and the General fund. He stated Road and Bridge in the proposed budget is 0.1727 and McSwain offered an amendment of 0.1917, the General fund is proposed at 0.4180 and McSwain offered an amendment of 0.3990. McSwain stated that’s a difference of $360,000 to be divided four ways to the Road and Bridge Precincts and designated as being for road oil purchases at $90,000 per precinct.
Judge Harbison asked if the tax rate should be adjusted and Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, said it wouldn’t change the bottom line, because it’s the same total and does change the dollars in the budget.
2. McSwain then addressed salary increases and he said relating to administrative assistants, and if someone is affected by Senate Bill 22 (SB22) he suggested that the County Attorney and District attorney through SB22 could give raises to their employees if they choose to do so and do not play a part in the increases he offers in the amendment. McSwain stated the county is going to raise the salary $2 an hour. Porterfield clarified with McSwain what he was stating and McSwain said to remove the $1 across the board raise originally proposed. He then stated all administrative assistants would receive the $2 raise, with the exception of those under SB22. Road and Bridge gets a $2 raise across the board and that also includes leaving the $1 in the proposed budget for “lead hand.” Dispatchers receive $1 an hour increase from the county. Out of SB22 they will get $100 per pay period for the Sheriff’s Department deputies and jailers. Start pay for administrative assistants will move up to $15.50.
Porterfield clarified they would be taking out the proposed $1 for everyone, $2 for clerical, $2 for Road and Bridge, $1 for the lead hand, $15.50 starting rate, $1 for dispatchers out of county funds, SB22 $100 per pay period for jailers and deputies. No county increase for deputies from county funds, but from SB22.
Commissioner Bellmyer confirmed their raise through SB22 would mimic the raise of county funds. Porterfield cautioned not to do something just because the county is receiving a grant.
McSwain also reiterated Porterfield’s warning that should the SB22 bill ever cease, the county will be responsible for pickup up that additional expense.
Porterfield pointed out that an additional alteration at the last minute has now been added to consideration in reference to budgeting for SB22 in the County Attorney and District Attorney offices. He also clarified there would be no pay raise for county officials.
Commissioner Bellmyer confirmed the administrative assistant at the Agrilife office, Veteran’s Service Officer, Emergency Management Coordinator, were also included in the raise. Judge Harbison confirmed all of the clerks would be a part of the $2 raise.
McSwain asked if there needed to be a delay to allow for the County Attorney and District Attorney to make any necessary calculations to their SB22 budget.
With that being mentioned, Porterfield stated those being discussed in their offices received 50% increases last year and he didn’t really know why they would make a change to include a county pay increase for them considering the pay increases they got out of SB22 on the previous year and he thought everyone would like to get a 50% pay increase.
Porterfield offered the possibility of an elected official raise, and providing them the option to waive their increase should they so choose.
Commissioners McSwain and Bellmyer were not in favor of an elected official raise because they didn’t feel they could justify it to the voters.
Commissioner Bellmyer clarified his original proposal of an additional $3 for the Election Administrator and an additional $2 for the Chief Deputy of the Tax Assessor-Collector, which each would also receive the $2 proposed by Commissioner McSwain.
Commissioner McSwain confirmed that was the motion and Commissioner Bellmyer gave a second to McSwain’s motion. During the vote, Judge Harbison abstained from voting, with Commissioners Stevie Smith, McSwain and Bellmyer all voting in favor. Commissioner Jimmy Lout was not present for the meeting.
Commissioner McSwain moved to adopt a 0.6164 tax for the operating fund, 0.0668 for Road and Bridge Special, for a total tax rate of 0.6832. Commissioner Bellmyer seconded the motion and it carried.
Before the meeting adjourned, Porterfield was unaware if the court could do anything about it at that time; however, he inquired if the court wanted to consider reinstating the County Judge’s travel allowance of $4,800 which she had chosen to take out of the budget to in light of the $1 increase that was in the proposed budget. Bellmyer was under the impression it had been increased, but Judge Harbison had taken it out and she offered the court could do what it wanted with it. Since the budget was already adopted, Porterfield couldn’t think of an amendment that would allow them to add it back in and he apologized to the judge for having not gotten it back in during the discussion.
Commissioner McSwain moved to adjourn, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Smith. The meeting adjourned at 12:03pm.
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