By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer
Columbus County property owners will pay more taxes next year.
In a called meeting to adopt the fiscal 2007-2008 budget, the Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 in favor of a 5-cent property tax increase to balance the $76 million budget.
Commissioners James Prevatte, Ricky Bullard and Ronald Gore voted no.
The 76.5-cent tax rate climbs to 81.5 cents per $100 valuation. A property owner with a home valued at $100,000 will pay $815 in taxes –up $50 from this year’s $765.
Despite $2 million in cuts to the budget, the county has increased spending by nearly $1.5 million in comparison to fiscal 2006-2007.
No new hires
The budget ordinance includes a statement that there be no new hires in county government and no vacancies filled until “analyzed by the manager.”
All county employees will receive a 3 percent cost of living wage increase and 2 percent 401K contribution.
Four new jailer positions and additional debt service are budgeted for the new Columbus County detention center.
A wastewater treatment operator is added to man a sewer plant servicing Oakbark, formerly known as Wright Chemical, at Riegelwood.
Waste, insurance
increases
A 2.4 percent tipping fee increase and 2.7 percent operation fee increase bring Waste Management’s contract fees up to $5.8 million and fuel surcharges to $465,000.
Residents’ solid waste fees remain steady at $193 for county residents and $106 year for municipal residents.
A professional liability, property and workers compensation premium increases by $220,785.
Social Services early on in the budget process agreed to trim $624,759 from the budget by reducing expenditures for an adult special services program.
New cuts Friday included another $94,792 from DSS but jeopardize $64,379 in state funding – saving only $30,413.
Included in the DSS cuts are $50,000 in capital outlay, $10,000 for equipment, and more than $30,000 for salaries.
No renovations
Courthouse improvements and new window casings are out the window with a $50,000 cut in the court facilities line item. Another $80,000 is recouped by dropping an elevator for the administration building.
Paving for Families First domestic violence shelter, the Miller Building, juvenile justice renovations to the Miller building basement, and renovations to the old tax office for new district attorney offices is scratched at $153,500.
Transfers
Another $500,000 from the health department is used to balance the budget.
The funds are revenues generated in the agency’s home health division. Last year, $1 million was transferred from the fund.
The Department of Aging squeezes another $105,000 from its budget, bringing the total transfer from the department to $361,250.
Additional funds pulled from solid waste ($800,000), and Water Districts I, II, and III ($207,897).
Other cuts
Special appropriations totaling roughly $1 million in donations to various organizations hold steady with the previous year’s expenditures.
Start-up money for a county rescue rope team at $15,000 is deleted.
All departments’ travel is cut 10 percent ($34,000).
No contingency fund remains and finance officer Leo Hunt warned the board to pray there is no emergency.
Cuts avoided
Allocations for city and county schools are funded at the same levels as in fiscal 2006-2007.
Although a $300,000 cut was discussed, it may have cost the county millions in low wealth funding (See related story, page 1-A.)
A special appropriation to mental health for Sheltered Workshop transportation for special needs adults totals $60,000.
Though targeted for a cut due to questions about a change in ownership at the workshop it was determined the funds would stay in the budget.
The transportation is contracted through the county transportation department and sub-contracted to Laidlaw services and paid monthly when invoices are submitted.
The budget calls for an additional $148,500 in tax revenues collected this year. Staff had based the fiscal 2006-2007 budget on a 96 percent collection rate but the rate has increased to 96.5 percent and the budget is based on this figure.