Sheriff’s office to get 4 cars

Commissioner Mike Youngblood asked Sheriff Kip Thomas why he asked for the cars.

“Because we need the cars,” said the sheriff.

“You need the cars now, correct, that’s why you’re here, you need the vehicles,” said Youngblood, responding to Pethel’s assertion that the sheriff should wait till the cars are needed to approach the board.

Commissioner Jim Escoe said he wants to make sure the vehicles are purchased through the county bid process.

And sheriff Thomas said he had no problem bringing the bids before the board. But he said he wanted to go ahead and get quotes on the vehicles this year instead of waiting for 2012 prices, which will be higher, to kick in.

While the board approved the patrol car purchases Monday, the group shot down nearly every other request for a spending increase.

For instance, the board agreed not to grant a request from the Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter to use 2010 Census figures to calculate the county’s annual contribution to the shelter. The contract between Madison and Oglethorpe counties with the shelter stipulates a $3 per capita contribution from both counties based on the 2000 Census. That put Madison County’s contribution at approximately $78,000 a year. That annual contribution hasn’t changed in 10 years. And shelter officials asked that the board contribute $3 per capita based on the latest Census, which would raise the county’s contribution to the shelter by roughly $6,000 annually.

Oglethorpe leaders recently denied the proposed increase, noting that the shelter receives far more animals from Madison County than Oglethorpe County. Commissioner Stanley Thomas noted that the shelter has lost $50,000 in funding from a private donor and that the shelter is financially strained. He noted that more people are turning over their pets to the shelter due to the economy. Thomas said the shelter needs to come back to the board to alter the current contract, which is still based on the 2000 Census. Commissioner Youngblood agreed.

“It will be in their best interest next year to bring this contract forward and try to rewrite it,” said Youngblood, who made a motion to deny the increase.

The board voted 4-1 to deny the shelter’s request for 2012, with Escoe providing the lone vote against denial.

In a separate matter Monday, the board voted against funding a position for the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS). DFCS director Lisa Plank recently informed the board that a position formerly funded through federal stimulus money, which helped needy Madison County residents get benefits through DFCS in a timely manner, won’t be covered with federal money in 2012. Funding the position would cost the county roughly $33,000 next year.

The board also voted to deny a request by the library for two new part-time positions, which library officials said will be needed after the library expansion is complete. The library also requested more funds for utilities for the larger facility. Commissioners asserted that library utility expenses can’t be determined yet. They said they’d rather wait to approve any utility increases until after the expanded library is open and some bills are received.

The board also denied requested salary increases in the registrar’s office, tax commissioner’s office, district attorney’s office, probate court and code enforcement office.

Escoe said it wouldn’t be fair to raise anyone’s pay without raising everyone’s, adding that he’d be in favor of an increase for employees.

“I think we can do the full thing for employees,” said Escoe. “But that’s not going to get anywhere, so why make it (a motion)?”

After all the budget discussions July 18, county finance director Kathy Clark informed the board that the county’s projected 2012 expenses had exceeded projected revenues by $645,805 at the beginning of the meeting. The board decreased that shortfall by $227,832, bringing the total shortfall of expenses to revenues to $417,973 for next year’s budget. County leaders say there is enough in county reserves to cover a shortfall. Leaders say there will not be a tax increase. The final 2012 won’t be set until after final tax digest figures are received.