Budget Talks Prompt Questions of Clarity and Library Funding

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The Fannin County Board of Commissioners opened its 2013 budget workshop this week. According to the proposed budget provided by City Clerk Rita Kirby at the workshop, the county’s 2013 proposed budget is $18,886,521.

At the start of the workshop, Citizen Joe Webb questioned the structure of the budget, asking why the water authority’s finances were not presented in a separate line item.

“It’s a separate authority,”

he said,

“As I understand it, right now there’s a couple of hundred thousand dollars in the development authority that pertains to the water authority. There’s also money in administration that pertains to the water authority.”

Kirby said the county could not separate it in a line item per Webb’s suggestion.

“We can’t do that,”

she said,

“for the auditors.”

She went on to explain the water authority has several loans pending per work, included in the expense services account under the development authority. Despite the complexities of accounting methods, Webb said the county should offer simplified and general information that the public could understand.

Webb’s comment highlights the county’s perceived transparency issues, which has been noted by other citizens as well. During a May Fannin GOP Meeting, Citizen Billy Hopkins questioned Commission Chair Bill Simonds regarding availability of the budget. Hopkins noted that, while other counties through out the state post their current budgets on their county websites, Fannin does not. Currently, the Fannin BOC has its 2010 and 2011 budgets posted in its website, but not 2012 or 2013. Also, meeting agendas are not posted on the county site either, but are posted in the courthouse.

Responding to Webb’s comment on the water authority’s budgetary finances, Simonds said anyone can come in any time they want and have the numbers explained to them. Unsatisfied with the answer, Webb reiterated the county should provide the public with more comprehensible information.

Also, as Chairman of the Library, Webb requested an additional $2500 for the fourth quarter to keep the library open the extra ten hours that was funded last quarter. Simonds said funding is not available for the fourth quarter. Further, Webb requested a $30,000 increase from the county for the library in the 2013 budget. He went on to say that without the increase beginning January 1, 2013, the library will be closed every Wednesday for all of 2013 and, beginning April 1, 2013 the library will be closed the whole third week of each month for the remainder of 2013. This will result in 100 furlough days for full time staff members, Webb said. The budget presented this week allocated $167,720 to the library.

Earlier in the meeting, the board accepted a bid from Peach State Ambulance Service for a new ambulance for $104,870, which is included in the 2013 proposed budget. Peach State was the lowest bidder and had outfitted the other ambulances in the Fannin Fleet.

The board will hold a public budget hearing on November 27, 2012 at 5:15 P.M.

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