Madison County is preparing to finalize their budget for the 2018 fiscal year.
So far, many departments have spoken with the county board of supervisors during budget hearings, going over their needs and wants for the upcoming year.
For the 2017 fiscal year, officials have had to reach into reserves to cover an extra $4 million on top of the $80.1 million budget.
In light of this, District 2 Supervisor Trey Baxter, board president, has created a budget proposal for next year.
“The biggest cut… the Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA) is at $650,000,” Baxter said. “They had half a million dedicated to them (earlier this year). In my proposal, I only gave them an extra $137,000 to go on top of their $650,000.”
Baxter added that he also cut the budget for the road department.
“But every county employee’s getting a 3 percent cost-of-living raise. Basically, all the cutting I did made it so we would be able to cut one millage and give every county employee 3 percent raise.”
Last month, Baxter proposed that with the fantastic growth of Madison County (4.3 percent growth and $70 million increase in assessed value over the past year), one mill, or approximately $1.2 million, could be cut from county tax collections.
Baxter said he also increased the paving budget from $450,000 to $2 million.
“This is my budget that (District 1 Supervisor Sheila Jones) and I worked on together,” he said. “The other supervisors may be working on their own budget.”
Baxter said that along with employee raises and an increased paving budget, law enforcement also received an increased budget for next year in his proposed budget.
“It’ll make it so we’re capable of a one mill tax cut and a $850,000 cushion between revenue and expenditure. We’ve got $31 million in the bank. At some point, you have to explain to tax payers why you have all that money in the bank and not in their pockets.”
During the budget hearings, the chancery clerk’s office requested an decrease from approximately $219,000 to $192,600.
Ronny Lott is the Madison County Chancery Clerk.
The circuit clerk’s office will take a decrease as well from $377,000 to approximately $221,000 for the 2018 fiscal year.
Norman Cannady, the Madison County tax assessor, is requesting a $100,000 increase in the budget for next year.
The county administrator’s office, run by county administrator Shelton Vance, is requesting a $1,500 increase in the budget.
Increases include information technology, veteran services, chancery court, circuit court, county court, youth services, justice court, the coroner, the county attorney, constables, emergency management, citizens services, soil conservation, libraries and sheriff administration, among others.
Decreases include the county comptroller, mental health court, elections, mosquito control, welfare administration, planning and zoning and medical services, among others.
Human resources, employment security, parole and probation, ambulance services, beaver control, department of rehabilitation, county extension service, wildlife department wardens and planning and development will remain level.
Baxter’s proposed budget and the hearing requests can be found at www.northsidesun.com.
