Print this story | E-mail story | This story has 29 comments Add your own | iPod friendly
County memo: cut budgets 2%
Commissioners discuss, don’t agree on spending changes
Published Thursday, January 15, 2009
Covington County Commission Chairman Lynn Sasser yesterday sent a memo to all county department heads asking that each one prepare a plan for cutting his or her budget by 2 percent of the fiscal year total. The budget year began in October.
“We need to have hide about yea thick when we do this,” Sasser told commissioners in a workshop meeting Wednesday morning.
“Some departments might not be happy,” he said. “The problem is, we can’t help it.”
The department heads’ recommendations are due on Jan. 20, he said, adding that the memo was sent with a budget comparison showing how much of their budgets they have spent through Dec. 31, 2008.
Sasser’s announcement came at the end of a more than two-hour long meeting in which commissioners reviewed a laundry list of potential ways to save money. County administrator Brenda Petty prepared the list at the commissioners’ request.
Before commissioners began reviewing the list, Commissioner David Ellis told the commission that changes must be made.
“The administrator came to me and said we’re going to run out of money in March and we can’t pay our equipment note,” Ellis said. “We can’t continue losing money every year like we have for the last 12 years. We’ve got to change some of the ways we’re doing stuff.”
Items put on the table ranged from charging to bury dead cows to selling more than 60 acres of property behind the Kiwanis Center where the county had planned at one time to build ball fields in a joint venture with the City of Andalusia.
But two and a half hours later, the only thing commissioners had hit upon that everyone was willing to change was requiring all employees who choose to use a county-provided SouthernLinc for cell phone service to pay for that service through payroll deduction.
Petty reviewed recent revenue reductions and said that cutting the entire county operating budget by 2 percent should generate $400,000, which she believes will give the county the funds it needs to balance the budget.
While the loss of a contract to house federal prisoners will cost the county $320,000 per year, Petty said the county had already billed and been paid for housing inmates in October, November and December. The actual loss of revenue in the current budget will be $208,000 for housing and $5,000 for transporting prisoners, she estimated.
Wachovia Bank’s decision not to renew a $400,000 operating loan also will mean a net gain to cash flow, she said. The county owes $360,000 on the note, and had planned to reduce the principal this year.
“They are not renewing the note,” Petty said. “ This is what they’re doing to all customers who don’t have deposits with them. That’s an $80,000 improvement. If we get a $400,000 loan, and we budgeted an additional $40,000 reduction, that’s a net gain of $80,000 to the good of cash flow.”
Among the potential cost-saving measures discussed were:
• Eliminating contingency items in the budget.
• No longer sharing the cost of putting resource officers in area schools. The program originally was funded with grant money, but there is no longer grant money to pay for the service.
• Requiring employees to pay a portion of their insurance coverage. At present, the county pays 100 percent of the employees’ insurance premiums.
• Stop allowing employees to drive vehicles home, which was projected to save $5,00 per year.
• Cancelling uniform rentals and instead providing work shirts to employees of the road department.
• Cutting all out-of-state travel and some in-state travel, projected to save $32,000.
In a previous meeting, commissioners discussed the possibility of moving to a 35-hour work week. Ellis said in his district the proposed move would save the county about $24,284 a year and would cost employees from $59 to $100 a week.
Commissioner Bragg Carter said, “I’d rather cut a piece of equipment somewhere than cut employees. They’re hurting in this economy just like we are.”
Commissioner Harold Elmore said the district road departments have suffered more cuts than other departments.
“We can’t keep cutting districts,” Elmore said. “We are almost to the bone.”
Cutting districts totally and moving to a unit road system was the final item on the list, but Sasser ended the meeting before it was discussed.
“There’s one item I want to table for the time being,” Sasser said. “Let’s wait. Take it up a little bit later on.”
Previously, The Star-News has reported that in the fiscal year that ended in September, the Covington County Commission spent more than $300,000 over its revenues in its road departments, bringing the running total of road costs over revenues to $813,247 for the past several years.
Sasser said he hopes to receive the list of proposed cuts from department heads in a timely manner and to have a proposal ready for commissioners at the first meeting in February.
“We are asking them (the department heads) to do it,” he said. “We are humbly on our knees, asking them to help.”
Comments
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 6:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hahah two and a half hours and all they could agree on was making the employee pay for his cell phone.
Posted by I_CARE (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 7:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Commission Elmore's "we are almost to the bone". What about the $140,000 dollar 4 wheel drive John Deere Grade he bought last year, that he can't sell becasue he owes more than the machine is worth. SO THE ANSWER IS CUT THE WORKING MAN. Remember the Cpmmission just bought 10 new motor graders that the taxpayer will have to pay for.
Posted by THEPUNCH (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about cutting some of the countys big wigs salaries.
Posted by flawson (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr.Carter is right sell off all the equiptment that is not being used the people who work outside don't need their pay reduce cut the top dogs by 20 to 30 per-cent . It still stick in my craw how we (county) is in such a mess still people are over paid and nothing is being done but like the ole saying big wigs get the grease little ones pay for the grease
Posted by ccresident09 (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The county must reduce adm salaries, not cut hours and pay from the actual workers. If they start here, then stop using equipment for personal favors this would be a great start! Cut out driving county vehicles home and for using personal use. There are too many elected officials trying to stay elected so they spend many resources doing favors to keep certain voters happy throughout the 4 year term. This is a huge expense to the county and it isn't fair. The county is in trouble and who is willing to step in do what needs to be done??????
Posted by chopdoc (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am encouraged that the current commision realizes that there is a problem and are taking steps to address it. Not everyone will be pleased nor are they expected to be. Budget cuts are a no win situation for everyone involved but are necessary in order to not go into debt deeper than that which they inherited.
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
chopdoc...The current comission has no choice but to realize there is a problem. I think you are correct, when you say budget cuts are a no win situation. I just don't want to see the little man take all the cuts.
Posted by southernattitude (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about cutting some of the dead wood out of the trees? I get tired of seeing one county worker actually doing work while 3 more stand leaning on their shovels. Not a bad job for them when you get free insurance!
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
southernattitude... I knew sooner or later someone would post a comment like yours. We all know that if you work for the county,city,state, there will always be people that think you have an easy job.
Posted by covresident (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 12:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the Commissioners should rethink about getting rid of the School Resource Officers. Don't they think about the safety of our children and Teachers. The Resource Officers get paid for 40 hours a week only, even if they work 80 hours. Part of that is paid by the Covington County Schools.When not in school the Resource Officers take some time off but all of them also serve papers- answer calls- make trips for Probate Judge- make Prisoner transports in and out of state- work in place of employee's on vacation of the Sheriff's office- supervise work details with inmatesand much more. If the Resource Officers did not do this then it would cost to have another Officer come on duty or leave the county even more short handed then it is now.
Posted by admin23 (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seriously charing to bury dead cows is going to get the county out of debt? That's a good one, really.
I agree with everyone in saying that there are some bigger cuts that could be made in a few administrative areas and there would be money available to pay the bills. Let's say it this way, if you had an accountant and you paid that accountant to handle your finances..this account for twelve years continued to neglect to notice that you're in the negative but continued to borrow each year on the loan that was borrowed the year before to pay on the previous years loans...would you keep that accountant? I think not. So why can't the county bid for an accounting firm(Not Greg White) here in the county to do the finances for the county. Each department could be seperated. That way each department head was hands on with one individual accountant for their department and did not have to worry about another department getting the money that was alloted to their own department. Then, have a general fund for the ones who fall under "commission". Maybe that just makes sense to me, I hope to see Mr. Sasser step up and take on the role as Commission chairman. I have a lot of faith in him and I hope that he can turn the county around but by continuing the same path the others have you will only finally ruin the county.
Posted by GetRealBeFair (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 8:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Southernattitude BREAKING NEWS............The little man working for Covington County did not put the county in this mess.The BIG man caused this.A covered arena was wanted but purchased a castle that is not even air conditioned.Since the BARN was built how many years has it supported it's self? That is what the BIG PEOPLE in the county wanted not the little people. Just ask some of the little people what they really think about the BARN. Get real and put the blame on the one's responsible. Be fair and stop blaming the one's working and struggling to survive. Maybe the big one's would like to share the wealth. NOT! All the talk is about cutting benifits from the little working man. No mention of cutting the big one's. Only in America. Maybe they are looking for the little man "to bail them out". Sound familiar?
Posted by jmccloskey1 (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that the Sheriff dept.got the county In the spot its in so the cuts should be made there. 1 sell all suv,trucks and all other needless cars.no more new cars and fix the ones thay have.why do thay need to have gas guzlers like 4x4 trucks.for every new crown vick thay buy you can repair 5 atleast.2 cut mr meeks salery and his chief deputyby 25% also the jail adim.3Fire the workers that was working when the fed.inmate escaped .we dont need to house fed.inmates the sheriffs office and jail in covington co.has a past history with local people escaping so how are we going to keep fed.inmats from escaping???
Posted by admin23 (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
jmccloskey1, you need to do a little better job studying where the money in the county is going. It is not going to the Sheriff's Department. They are the one of the most understaffed and undercompensated departments in the county. And the vehicles I prefer the deputies to have good vehicles to drive to my house when a burglar is at the door. I'd hate to have to wait because Palmer's had to go pick up the deputy and bring him to the house.
Posted by covingtoncountycitizen2008 (anonymous) on January 15, 2009 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
jimmccloskey1, you have got to be kidding with the comment you just made. Admin23 is correct in saying that you need to do a little better job in studying where the money is going. How do you figure that it was the Sheriff's Department's fault? You have no clue as to what is going on in the county. It's a safety issue that the cars are replaced after it gets alot of wear and tear and high mileage on the vehicles. Would you keep driving a vehicle that would constantly have mechanical problems. I think not! I guess you also think that the Sheriff has access to the funds that the county has. I would hope you would know that the commission approves everything that the Sheriff gets. Once again, admin23 is correct in saying that the Sheriff's Office is way understaffed and undercompensated as it is. I guess we can keep taking and taking from these county employees until they have no choice but to find other jobs to provide for their family. I guess you don't see that most of them have two and three jobs just to survive. Some might say that I sound angry, and the answer is you darn right. As for the commissions ideas on the budget cuts, I think that it has to happen. But, they do not have to step on the employees that are already barely making it and take even more of their compensation from them. The idea of making them pay some of their insurance. That is the most unreasonable idea that I have heard yet. If you didn't know it, county employees already have to pay around $400.00 a month just to have coverage on their family. It's crazy. Any job I have ever worked has never costed that much. That's not counting the dental, that is extra. Then on top of that, their salaries are one of the lowest compared to local departments we have here. And, they have to listen to criticism from people who think they know whats best for them. Some people just never grow up and face reality. Glad I did!
Posted by cbrown05 (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 5 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ahhhhh...tugging at the heart strings and the purse strings will always generate interesting conversation.
Posted by littleballer2009 (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 7:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jmcclosky- 1- you don't have a clue what you are talking about 2- you can't even fix a truck where you work at
3- you don't want to let any of your skeletons out of your closet
Posted by GetRealBeFair (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks covingtoncountycitizen2008. You are so correct.
Posted by THEPUNCH (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cut the Sheriffs Office????????Where are you going to cut. It sounds to me that there already cut so deep there gonna need stitches. As for jmcclosky get a life go repair your own fence before you start cutting someone elses. Cut the queen b, the pig parlor manager and other big wigs in the county. it probably would not be hard to pay for your insurance if you make over 100,000 dollars a year.
Posted by lee (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jmcclosky where do you get off saying stuff like cutting the sheriff office and they are at fault? are you still smoking that covington county meth or what? and to cut the chief deputy pay? get a life. you must have a personal grudge against the chief deputy. well lay off . get a life and stay of the pipe.
Posted by chopdoc (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well put covingtoncountycitizen2008. jmcclosky, spell and grammar check would serve you well.
Posted by star (anonymous) on January 17, 2009 at 3:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like they need to cut the salaries of some like Brenda Petty, Tony Wells and others.
Posted by Huckster (anonymous) on January 17, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well if you think the governor will help on any of this then think again. I have contacted them just to try to get a little maintenance on my dirt road, just a scrape here and there would be nice with no avail. My commissioner told me I should contact him when I called to inquire about when he may get to scraping it after the suspension on my vehicle had to be repaired and he didn't have time to talk. But in the long run the county when cutting road work or labor needs to consider how much they will lose in revenue for repair of vehicles. The governor assured me the head orf the commission and my commissioner would be contacted and something would be done ASAP well that has been three weeks ago. If I worked like that in my field I would be terminated. Then theres always the vengeance thing I had opponent signs in my yard during the election along with the other people who live on the road. I even offered to pay for some deisel fuel to aid the county just to get the road passable. The roads have not been in this shape for years prior to the preacher man getting in office. I guess we are on our own until we can buy our own grader and pan but the roads that the kinfolk live on are passable and kept up I guess he saves up for all of thst. With what I have seen in the school systems, courthouse, and county commision we are dealing with a load of nepitism which some don't know what that term means but to put it plain if you are kin-then, you are in and it goes from the the county commission to the county school board. I used to live in the city of Andalusia and I wish I still lived in the city limits. There is too much brother-in-law hayseed in charge. The head of the school board will not let my 9yr old son use the light in the stadium but when her grandson was still playing I bet they could play at night to keep him from getting so hot. The leage pays for the stadium but she won't let us pay for the lights. Wake up people we are surrounded by Goobers in charge and we put them there. I think the county needs to be taken over from an outside organization and spot cleaned. Get all the family out and get some people in who care and won't try to steal us blind.
Posted by Littlejohnny (anonymous) on January 17, 2009 at 10:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Above someone referred to county workers that make $100,000, who makes that much?
Posted by lookeyhere (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 6 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Littlejohnny... I think there refering to the county administrator.
Posted by admin23 (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 9:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Littlejohnny, in case you haven't read any of the previous comments about the county and the salaries, I must tell you, if you name any one person your comment will be removed. Now if you want to name deputies, jailers, mayors, or just any other citizen and their salary go ahead. But for some unknown reason to most of us commenting you can not open your mouth about this one particular individual. Not sure why...must have some 8x10's stashed away.
Posted by Littlejohnny (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 10:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
100k not bad. Is the salary determined by the county or state? Is that a merit position or does the comission appoint the same person administration after administration? I saw last week the comments were disabled on the stories related to the losing of the Fed Inmate Contract. Same reason I suppose.
Posted by admin23 (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 8:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From what I remember the position was created by contract. But with benefits (retirement/insurance) during the Weed administration. This particular person handles the accounts (payable/receivable) grants, etc. through his/her office. Before this job each department handled their own. Which to me, seems like a better idea. This job and the pay as far as I know has never been discussed or even made mention of because I'm not sure everyone has been made aware of such a high paying job available in this county, especially for what actually takes place in this office. The salary was fixed years ago plus surplus in the county's budget could mean bonus in a few pockets. Kind of a if you'll scratch my back, I'll scratch yours policy. I just hope this county chairman will not fall victim. Mr. Sasser has potential to make the voters happy and change the wrong doings of the past.
Posted by Littlejohnny (anonymous) on January 24, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Weed admin. Was that about 12 years ago? 12 x $100,000 = $1,200,000. I wonder if the county has received that much benefit? What would the average accts pay/rec clerk in AL make $35,000 to $40,000? How much does a commissioner make $35,000?
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)