Published: June 27, 2008 08:26 pm            

Treasurer tackles ‘hardest budget’ yet

Somerset — “I think this has probably been the hardest budget I’ve done since I’ve been here.”

Those were the words of Pulaski County Treasurer Arlene Young on the chore she had putting the 2008-2009 budget together.

The 2008-2009 total budget is set at $29,064,960 for the coming year.

“It’s affected us all the way around,” said Young of how prices have gone up on items.

Young said not only has gas gone up, but it has caused building supplies and other items that are needed within the county to go up in cost as well.

To help balance the budget with rising costs, Young said they had to cut back on some line items such as salaries and items in road construction.

She said though employees received a 45 cent raise this year, in other years they have received 75 cents or $1.

Also, Young said it did help the budget that there is only one election next year, which cuts down on the cost of what has to be spent by the county for an election.

Young said to determine which line items in the budget could possibly be cut, she looks at usage over the last two years, as well as where they are with the line item at that point in the year, while still trying to allow for growth.

“We’ve had to struggle to balance,” said Young.

Young noted that Pulaski County Jailer Mike Harris got a contract to transport federal prisoners and gets reimbursed on mileage.

As for the possibility of gas prices going up any further, Young said, they have tried to do what they can to make the budget work.

“We tried to gauge it, but if it goes up as the year goes on ... we’ll have to cut back on something,” said Young. “We’ll have to watch it (the budget) throughout the year and hope revenue is more than anticipated.

General Fund — $12,746,444

Young said the general fund is up by $1,686,000. She said she would attribute this to revenues being up over all, as well as property tax, occupational tax and flood control money being up.

Within the general fund, $2,525,000 is set aside for capital projects, which Young said will go toward the new judicial center.

Road Fund — $5,121,606

Young said the road fund is down by $318,000 from last year. She said that downfall comes from the fact they had some Memorandums of Agreements with the state last year that the county doesn’t have this year.

Young noted that they could get such agreements later in the year, but last year they knew about them while planning for the year’s budget.

Jail Fund — $3,139,125

Young said the jail fund is down $163,000 from the previous year because of housing fewer prisoners, who bring in money. The state is requiring the change.

The county treasurer noted that in the 2007-2008 year the county gave the jail fund $119,000 plus what is set aside through the occupational tax for the year, however, this year the county did not budget any extra money into the budget, other than the occupational tax money.

LGEA Fund — $691,000

Young said the Local Government Economic Assistance fund totals $691,000, which is up somewhat from last year.

She said it was up because the county is getting a little more mineral severance tax.

The fund sets aside $274,000 toward roads, and then other money goes to fund charities such as Watershed Arts Alliance, Mill Springs Battlefield, the Blakley Family YMCA, Bluegrass Fest-ival, Pisgah Community Center, the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, PRIDE, the Bethany House, God’s Food Pantry, God’s Helping Hands and other organizations.

Charities are distributed money after they send a request by letter. Young said if the county can feasibly give them what is requested, they do, however, if they have money constraints, they just give them what they can.

Within this fund, there was no additional money set aside for the Blakley Family YMCA to help in their current financial situation. Extra funds are needed to pay off the debt incurred when the YMCA was built nearly a decade ago.

Fire Fund — $2,445,000

Young said the fire protection fund is down about $30,000 from last year. The money for the fund comes from liability insurance and other types of insurance other than health insurance, which is dedicated to fire service by an ordinance.

The money used in this fund goes toward the office of public safety and the fire departments.

Within the fund there is $775,000 set aside for capital projects, which will include additional training rooms, a training tower at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center, as well as new tanker trucks for various local fire departments.

Industrial Development — $1,662,250

Young said the Industrial Development fund is up a little over $400,000 from last year because of cash from the current year and an increase in the occupational tax.

She said the money within the fund pays for the operation of the office, as well as various projects, including $150,000 to go toward technology park site development, $170,000 toward the High Growth Training center, $664,000 toward new industrial prospects, and paying South Kentucky RECC $142,000 they had loaned the county to go toward the High Growth Training center.

Hazmat 12 Fund — $345,000

Young said the Hazmat fund is down a little, but it is because the county hasn’t received as many homeland security grants, as they’ve received in the past.

Hazmat is totally funded by grant money and homeland security money.

Emergency Dispatch — $1,458,535

Young said the emergency dispatch (911) fund is up around an $145,000 increase as there was an increase in the occupational tax.

She said there was also more tax coming in from cell phone usage and that has been earmarked for 911 as well.

Economic Development — $148,000

Young said the Economic Development fund is up by about $70,000, as there has been a rollover in CDBG grants.

This fund gives businesses grants and then the business pays it back and the money gets reloaned to other businesses, Young said.

Federal Grant Fund — $1,333,000

Young said last year the county received $3,727,000 in grants, so this fund is down $2.4 million in anticipated grants at this time.

        

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