County Council took a first crack at the 2008-2009 budget Wednesday.

The new budget, which will begin on July 1, totals $22.3 million, which is $1.36 million, or 6.5 percent, higher than the current budget.

The county expects to have a millage rate of 141, representing a 3-mill, or 2.2 percent, increase in property taxes from the previous year. The projected value of a mill for county government collections would be $102,840.

County officials expect a budget surplus of $1.4 million this year.

County Administrator Wayne Adams recommended council put $1 million of the overrun toward capital projects, and add $345,000 to the fund balance (savings).

Rental of county property

The council is changing the status of some appointed personnel. This includes relegating the fairgrounds, Community Hall and the Helena Community Center boards to an advisory capacity, instead of the management roles those appointees previously fulfilled. County employees are working on obtaining proposals for rental charges of the facilities.

To carry out some of the activities that are currently the work of the board and commission members, like collecting rental fees and supervising maintenance of the properties, the county would hire a new receptionist. County officials say the extra administrative help would also free up time for the procurement and property manager to better manage maintenance of county facilities.

“The fairgrounds property is operated under an appointed board without any direct staffing, and Community Hall is operated under the combination of an appointed board and one staff person, the salary and benefits cost of which are more than triple the revenue generated from the charges to use the facility,” said Adams. “The Helena Community Center, a new county property, is governed somewhat loosely by a community organization, but without any regulations on user charges or clear assignment of upkeep responsibilities.”

In session, county officials reported that Iris Rodelsperger, a member of the fairgrounds commission, holds the checking account for one of the commissions in her name. The county administor said they have been unable to access the account.

Rodelsperger supplied a copy of a bank statement for the account to The Observer. The account is held under the name of “Newberry County Agricultural Fair.” She and another commission member, Harold Ruff, are signatories on the account, according to Rodelsperger.

By putting control of the facilities under the county administration, all of the money would be deposited with the county treasurer.

The new receptionist would receive $25,357 in salary and benefits (salary of $17,528).

The money to pay for the position would come from unfilled positions or those that will be eliminated. Those include: $17,443 for the part-time Community Hall hostess position, $14,231 from an economic development intern position and $15,988 from a part-time animal control kennel worker.

Nursing home

As budget talks continue, the council is again questioning its ownership of J.F. Hawkins and Springfield Pace.

“I am going to push to see the sale of it,” promised Councilman Edgar Baker. “I want to see this thing gone. I would love to see it on the market.”

The nursing home enterprise fund has a balanced budget of $9.3 million.

The council is being asked to make some of the nursing home administration county employees. While the administrator and marketing position are already county employees, council members questioned whether making some of the staff county employees would put forward a need to include the entire staff. Salaries paid by the county would be reimbursed by the nursing home fund.

Also questioned was the $2.2 million being spent on administration salaries compared to nearly $3.1 million on nursing salaries.

Adams said the administration positions at the nursing homes would be discussed at the next County Council Nursing Home Committee meeting scheduled for May 12.

Members of council also questioned $54,810 in salary and fringe benefits for Mayor Ed Kyzer, who is the marketing specialist for the facilities. They asked if he could be both a county and city employee and if the position was publicly advertised.

Adams told the council the barrage of questions would be better discussed in an executive session.

“I bet Steve Stockman would take the job and drop out of the race,” said Councilman John David Dawkins of his opponent.

I-26 and 219 interchange

“It makes me want to throw up,” was Waldrop's reaction to the budgeted $76,000 in maintenance for landscaping at the I-26 and Highway 219 interchange.

The City of Newberry has agreed to pay $18,000 to help with the $36,000 in maintenance.

But county council balked when it learned that mulch for the project would cost another $30,000.

“Can we pay the state $60,000 to do away with it?” asked Council Henry “Buddy” Livingston in relation to the grant to create the beautification project.

The council plans to continue to discuss the project but Adams hopes that inmate labor will reduce the costs.

Council is set to meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the County Courthouse Annex on College Street in Newberry to continue discussing the budget.