The “wish list” reflects increased requests from many departments.
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – The proposed county budget for the 2004 calender year is up by more than 11 percent.

On Tuesday, County Clerk Julie Magoon unveiled the proposed budget, which will be dealt with in the middle of next week.

The figure is up 11.06 percent to $3,930,537 over last year’s approved amount of $3,538,980. The approved 2003 budget was less than a 4 percent increase from the 2002 one.

Although the current year is not yet finished, the revenue for 2003 is projected to be $501,903.

Magoon said she has not yet calculated how much taxpayers will be affected by the 2004 budget as all expected revenue figures for that year aren’t in yet. Once those numbers come in, the county will be able to calculate the mill rate for the upcoming year.

The proposed budget will be discussed over the next few months by county commissioners, a nine-person budget committee and then the public. It then goes to vote later in the year at a public hearing.

Magoon said that the $3,930,537 proposed amount will likely be lowered for many reasons over the budgetary process.

One such decrease she already expects involves health insurance costs, which she budgeted would be a 15 percent increase over costs in 2003, though now she says may come in at only a 10 percent increase.

Increases for many departments like the District Attorney’s Office, the Emergency Management Agency, the Registry of Deeds and the Probate office were moderate, however some departments showed massive increases in their requests.

The jail is asking for an hike in financial support from $773,853 allotted in 2003 to a request of $885,661 in 2004. That jump is mainly in personnel for the support of prisoners, up nearly $80,000 from last year.

Requests from area social service agencies, for example the Franklin County Children’s Task Force, are up significantly from $192,990 doled out in 2003 to $243,650 asked for in 2004.

Last year, Seniors Plus, Franklin County Fireman’s Association, Community Concepts and Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services weren’t given any money according to the budget book. Meanwhile this year, those agencies are requesting $65,000 total, including a $36,000 request from Seniors Plus.

Many of the personnel increases seen in the budget are for the second year of implementation of a pay scale study that was done last year. Rewarding people for their longevity with the county and experience, the study meant raises, spread out over 2003 and 2004, for county employees.

“This is only a wish list,” Magoon pointed out of the proposed budget. “I am sure we will pare down these amounts quite a bit.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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