FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee gave initial approval Wednesday to a nearly $10.6 million spending package for fiscal year 2024-25, which runs from July 1 to June 30.
Of that amount, about $7.4 million is for county operations and nearly $3.2 million is for the jail. It is about $1.5 million more than the current budget. The numbers do not reflect an anticipated $1.5 million in revenues.
The committee set a public hearing on the spending plan for April 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Superior Court courtroom at the courthouse, 140 Main St.
Commissioners approved a spending package of $10.5 million, but there were errors in the original spreadsheet so that number may change. The difference between the two plans is $98,114.
The majority of the committee voted to add a 4% cost-of-living raise to nonunion employees. Commissioners agreed on a 3% increase for nonunion members previously in a 2-1 vote. Commissioners Lance Harvell of Farmington, chairman, and Terry Brann of Wilton voted in favor of 3% and Commissioner Bob Carlton of Freeman Township opposed.
Commissioners have the sole authority over wages, according to state law. Even if the money is appropriated by the budget panel, commissioners are not required to give that amount as a raise.
Administrator Amy Bernard said the difference between a 3% and a 4% cost-of-living raise is a total of $22,376.83 for nonunion employees.
The committee also went with some different amounts for social service and nonprofit agencies than commissioners approved. Commissioners approved an overall $279,940 for the groups and the budget committee approved $315,560.
Once the public hearing is held, the committee will hold another meeting to make a final vote on the budget. It will then go back to commissioners.
If commissioners make any changes, it will need to be a unanimous vote of the three. If that happens, the proposal will go back to the budget panel. It will take six of nine, or two-thirds, of the committee members to override commissioners.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.