Print this story | E-mail story | This story has 8 comments Add your own | iPod friendly
County overspent $300K
County’s fund balance shows running total of $813K overspent
Published Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Covington County Commission ended the 2007-08 fiscal year spending more than $300,000 over its revenues designated for roads, bringing the running total of road costs over revenues to $813,247 for the past several years.
The numbers come as no surprise after Wednesday’s nearly all-day workshop designed to review county operations in light of the financial situation facing the county. The newly elected commission chairman and district commissioners reviewed expenses in most departments.
“Day-to-day, we’re spending more than we’re taking in,” said newly-elected District 1 Commissioner David Ellis. Ellis defeated Kent Colquett during the June primary election. “Little cuts really aren’t going to help. We have to look at the big picture.
“We’re over the whole debt of the county,” he said. “We have to look at it like a big business. If we don’t look at it like that, we’re going to sink. And it’s not just in the districts. It’s everywhere.”
District 2 Commissioner Bragg Carter agreed that something has to be done to bring the county to the point where it needs to be, but he didn’t want to do it at the expense of its employees.
“But it will be if we don’t make some changes,” Ellis said. “When we run out of money, then we have to look at the employees. We can’t keep going the way we have been for the last eight years.”
County road maintenance is structured so that commissioners in each district oversee the departments which maintain dirt roads, while the county engineer manages a crew that maintains paved roads.
When comparing fiscal year expenses to actual revenues, the departments were 329,961 over in spending. (See box.)
The majority of those additional expenses came in the form of fuel costs as gasoline and diesel fuel costs skyrocketed during the summer months; however, in District 1, the opposite was true as its most expensive overage was $41,395 in personnel costs; District 2’s biggest overage was $31,355 in fuel costs, as was District 3’s $51,994 overage and District 4’s $14,506 overage.
The most costly fuel overage was seen in the engineering department as costs exceeded budgeted amounts by $158,509.
In the Wednesday meeting in an effort to reduce costs, County Engineer Darren Capps agreed to reduce his equipment fleet by one dump truck and two excavators and to schedule projects in the specific districts so that the engineering department could utilize the district’s equipment.
Commissioners also discussed which employees were allowed to take home vehicles. The practice varies:
• Ellis said that in District 1, the supervisor and any employee on call can take home vehicles.
• Carter said that in District 2, the foreman does.
• Elmore said that in District 3, three employees do.
• Turman said that in District 4, the supervisor does.
• Capps said that 10 of his employees do.
“I’m over the paved roads,” Capps explained. “I know the closest person to it if there’s a tree in the road at 2 a.m.”
Ellis said he understands that convenience, but questioned how many times a year there is a need to remove a tree at 2 a.m.
Capps estimated that convenience costs the county 3,900 gallons of fuel a year.
“It’s $1.50 now, so that’s $5,850 a year,” he said. “What price can you put on public safety?”
Other commissioners said mechanics supply their own tools and keep them in the county vehicles, necessitating the need to take home a vehicle.
Commissioners also discussed designated lunch times and how far employees should be allowed to drive public vehicles to lunch during the work day. Turman said because there are no restaurants in his district, his employees are required to “bring a lunch pail and eat at the job site.”
Aside from the shortfall in its road departments, among the first hurdles commissioners must cross is the final resolution of its 2005 bond issue. For the past three years, the Covington County Commission has used a portion of a 2005 bond issue to make ends meet by loaning the capital improvement money to other county accounts or funds that ran short in operating funds. When the county collected property taxes, it would “repay” the capital funds account, then borrow the money again when operating cash was tight.
But the $6.2 million bond issue has a clause stating that all of the money should be spent on capital improvements within three years, county administrator Brenda Petty explained to members of the commission Wednesday.
At present, she said, $540,000 is loaned from the capital improvements fund to the General Fund and to each of the four commission districts to cover cash shortages or budget overruns, just as it has in previous years.
If commissioners spend the $540,000 on new roofs, a courthouse elevator or ball fields, that money won’t be available if the county goes over budget again in the current fiscal year.
Michele Gerlach also contributed to this story.
Comments
Posted by sayitaintso (anonymous) on November 22, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
in my opinion the commissioners should be privy to vehicles to drive as needed to see that their crews have what is needed and the jobs are being performed in a timely fashion, but as for the others, all vehicle should be parked at the county yard after workday has ended and as for lunching on county gas that needs to stop, mr. turman should be applauded for having his employees brown bag it. as far as getting trees out of the road from time to time i hear the sheriff dept. handling tree removal free to the county. mr. capps' math is probably terrible inaccurate, you could probably double or triple his figures.
Posted by pingbalata (anonymous) on November 22, 2008 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would appreciate the opprotunity to see a list of the county's top officials and employees salaries. Since we as tax payers are paying these salaries I dont think this is an unreasonable request.
Posted by alhm (anonymous) on November 22, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All I know for sure is that the roads in this county are terrible. The money isn't going to fixing the roads so it must be going to riding them.
Posted by admin23 (anonymous) on November 22, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So all those promises or the "roof" fund for the courthouse...I guess those were lies? I tell you what, why not cut back on Ms. Petty and Mr. Wells salaries(At least by 30,000 each) and the other arena staff. Have one of the commission admins(3 I know of) one of them take over the scheduling of events at the arena until it is sold. Have the money deposited directly into whichever account it is actually supposed to be going to. Then have one of these road crews when we actually have an event go out and scrape the dirt around in the arena and a couple trustees clean the toilets and bathrooms and open the doors. For the salary/insurance/retirement benefits being paid out to at least two of these employees we could have four deputies. One on each shift. One more employee to help cover this county when you need them. We could have an actual roof on the courthouse. Not a patch job. Not garbage cans set up every foot when it rains and everyone's computers and possesions hid under garbage bags so that we don't have to worry about how to replace those. Mr. Sasser and commissioners you have your work cut out for you, good luck. I say hire an accountant....a good one.
Posted by hdsd (anonymous) on November 22, 2008 at 5:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Admin23, I agree, the need of cutting back in the higher brackets is so much needed. You only have to set on jury duty and maybe make a visit to the courthouse during such times of incliment weather, and one would see the need for major repair. But as most also may not be aware of, but before long there has to be some where for growth in the courthouse , due to the influx of crimes being committed as well the need to store and maintain the documentation being there, under the tarps, trash cans etc. If we don;t start being pro-active,instead of re-active. The day will come we will be way behind the curve ball, in all aspects of the county. The LACK of prior admistrations concern for the good of the community is biting us now. Don't look no farther than the ADMINS job, she controls things as well writes her own ticket. Her husband stepped in to the VA slot, and as I understand went no were, he was picked due to WHO THEY KNEW. Mr. Sasser and the commision needs to find a solution, but it will not be an easy task. However sad to say, if they don't get a grip on it, they will sadly be the blame. Good luck folks, decisions must be made, we are not there for being friendly,but to make hard and good decisions to HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
Posted by bobthathead (anonymous) on November 22, 2008 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems that the heads of Mr. Wells and Mrs. Petty are on the chopping block from all of you and I agree.. The Districts have been cut back so much already, I really don't see how they do that they do. But in some cases they have more Equipment than they have men. Not so many years ago some of the Districts (#4) Had 13 people working in it. Now? about 6 or 7... that’s a cut back. the only thing is the Trucks going home,, and yea the Commissioner should have a truck, and Not Mileage.. Mileage can run in to another salary in it's self . I think we need to look at that... As far as District #4 brown bagging it now, Well that’s been going on for over 4o years that’s nothing new there.
Posted by scoop (anonymous) on November 23, 2008 at 10:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pingbalata, as a taxpayer of Covington County you are entitled to see the salaries of every employee paid by the county with county funds. All you have to do is contract the County Administrator, Brenda Petty, and put in a request for the information and state why you want it. Sometimes, and probably when it comes to salaries, they dont really want to release that stuff so if they give you a hard time then you need draft a letter requesting the information then when they ask why you want the information tell them you want to know where your tax dollars are going. She should give you a list of employees and salaries but instead of it saying Tony Wells makes $25,000 a year it will say the manager of the arena makes $25,000. But it doesn't take a rocket sciencist to fill in the names. You can also do the same with the City of Andalusia or where ever you live. All salaries paid with public funds are subject to the review by the citizens of said city/county. If you can't get them just post on here and let me know.
Posted by truetalker2009 (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WELL I WISH THAT WE COULD SEE THE HIGHER UPS IN THE COUNTIES SALARY. BUT I KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR IT AND IT WAS NOT GIVEN TO THEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS PUBLIC RECORD. THE COUNTY ADMIN. MAKE WAY TOO MUCH MONEY AND SHE GETS A EXTRA 40 GRAND JUST TO GIVE OUT THE DRUG TASK FORCE MONEY. ALSO TO GET ON THE ARENA , IF THEY WOULD CUT WELLS SALARY DOWN TO WHAT HE SHOULD BE MAKING IT WOULD HELP. HE GOT A RATHER LARGE RAISE LAST YEAR AND THE ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE COUNTY I STRESS WORK GOT A FEW PENNIES.
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)