Fannin Budget Up 5%

This past week the Fannin County Board of Commissioners released its preliminary budget for the year 2014.

The overall budget is looking at a 5% overall increase from the previous year. Where is all of the new money going?The District Attorneys office will see the biggest increase if the budget remains the same. The office is looking to get an 81% increase from the last year’s budget.

Although this may seem like a huge jump Fannin County Commissioner Bill Simonds let FYN know this increase is to cover expenses the way they should be.

Last year the office worked on a very bare budget just to get by. If you look at the 2011 budget for the DA office it would only be a 29% increase from that year. FYN is still waiting for a statement from the District Attorney’s Office.

The next overall largest increase comes from the Coroners Office. The increase is a 54% jump raising the budget to $45,800. Simonds let FYN know that this increase is coming because of a new law that is now in effect.

Coroner Becky Callahan told FYN that the new law states that counties under 40,000 residences are required to give the coroner a minimum salary. This pay increase is largely in part of the new law.

Two years ago the Coroner had a budget of $35,000 so this is not as large of an increase as it sounds.

The Recreation Department is looking to get an extra $150,000 dollars in the year 2014. This increase is going to go to funding for more parking to be put into place at the recreational center. This will add roughly 200 more parking spaces.

Along with the new parking the parks can be looking forward to new pavilions at Horseshoe Bend and at the recreational facilities. The funding will cover a new employee that will be hired to help with maintenance.

The EMA looks to see an increase of 12%. In this increase employees are looking to receive a 2.5% pay increase. Along with a pay increase the department is hoping to receive a new ambulance.

EMA Director Robert Graham let FYN know that one of the fire stations is in need a new roof as well as some other needed improvements.

The Sheriff’s Office looks to see an increase of 12% as well. This is going to cover the cost of several police cars as well as a pay raise for employees. The vehicles will be paid in full and not financed.
Sheriff Dane Kirby said that the pay raise is the biggest portion of his office’s increase. He also said that the extra funds will help pay for new training and classes he hopes to send his officers too.

The Road Department will see a decrease in its budget for the coming year. This is because gravel and other expense have been taken out. The expenses will be covered and paid for out of SPLOST dollars in the coming year.

The budget is based on the correct digest. If all of the budgets are met the county may have to take up to $200,000 out of reserve fund but there is no bonded debt.

With a 5% increase were does that money come from? Currently the county has had 126 new certificates of occupancy this year. This means the county will collect property taxes on 126 new homes for the upcoming year.

Some of the expenses in the budget are put there but may not be used. In the budget there are monies set aside for a new roof of a fire station. Unless the roof is needed this money will not be spent.

Simonds let FYN know there are several other instances like this in the budget.

The new homes and the possibility of not spending the full budget is how the county can increase the budget without raising the millage rate.

You can look below at the proposed budget. The county will have a last public budget hearing on November 26 at 5:15. This hearing will allow individuals from the county to come in and ask the commissioners anything they want regarding the budget.