FARMINGTON — Two Franklin County commissioners said they plan to have the proposed 2013-14 budget submitted to the Budget Advisory Committee in a line item version as has been done previously.

The third commissioner, Gary McGrane of Jay, said Tuesday he wanted the budget panel to receive just the bottom line on each of the department requests, not a line-item budget.

McGrane said commissioners were elected to oversee the budget. If commissioners give the Budget Advisory Committee a line-item budget proposal, that opens it up for the committee to micromanage county government. He accused the budget panel of micromanaging county government earlier this year.

Commissioner Fred Hardy of New Sharon said he saw no need to change the budget process. The committee needs to have a line-item budget to see where they would like to make changes, such as reductions.

The budget committee could just tell commissioners how much they want each department request reduced by, and it would be up to commissioners to make those cuts, McGrane said.

The budget process begins in early April.

McGrane told commissioners in January that he planned to have legislation submitted to change the process in order to give commissioners the final say on the budget. At the time, Hardy told McGrane he wanted to keep the process the same.

A few Budget Advisory Committee members opposed any changes to the budget process. They said the committee represents the taxpayers and provides a system of checks and balances in the process.

McGrane did not submit legislation. He said in January that he would wait and see how the process goes this year.

The budget panel reduced flex-benefit packages for elected part-time officials last year that went into effect July 1, 2012. Those affected were the commissioners and treasurer.

Commissioners who get between $8,100 and $8,500 a year as a stipend in the current budget formerly received 70 percent of a full-time employee’s benefit package in flex pay. That money could be used for health insurance benefits and retirement plans. The Budget Advisory Committee reduced the flex-pay in half.

Commission Chairman Clyde Barker of Strong said Tuesday that he agreed with Hardy that a line-item budget should be presented to the budget committee.

Clerk Julie Magoon said she will develop line-item budgets for all involved.

The state statute that governs the Franklin County budget process requires commissioners to submit itemized finance estimates in the form of a budget to the Budget Advisory Committee.

“The advisory committee shall review the itemized estimated budget prepared by the county commissioners, together with any supplementary material prepared by the head of each county department or provided by any independent board or institution or another governmental agency. The advisory committee shall prepare a proposed budget and may increase, decrease or alter the estimated budget as long as it enters into its minutes an explanation for any suggested change in the estimated expenditures and revenues as initially presented by the county commissioners.

After the committee holds a public hearing, the advisory committee shall adopt a final budget and transmit that budget to the county commissioners. The county commissioners may not further increase, decrease, alter or revise the budget adopted by the advisory committee, except by unanimous vote of the county commissioners.

If the adopted budget is changed by the county commissioners, the advisory committee may reject that change by a two-thirds vote of its membership. Those actions are final and are not subject to further action by either the county commissioners or the advisory committee.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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