County Commission to look at FY 2020 budget figures

Polk County has a working budget that looks to increase again for FY 2020 from an original requested $22.1 million from last year, to $22.5 million for the budget starting in July.

Taxes are expected to come in higher at just over $16 million for the coming fiscal year compared to the amended FY 2019 budget figure of $15.7 million, for a more exact total increase of $272,721. What the annual revenues will bring in FY 2020 on tax collections will be mainly determined when property tax bills go out later in the year in September and a millage rate is set.

Additional revenue are expected to the tune of more than $158,000 for licenses and permits, intergovernmental revenues of more than $1.1 million, just shy over $800,000 for charges for services (a figure that is expected to trend downward based on the FY 2019 amended budget) and fine and forfeiture collections of around $725,000 for the year. Some $60,000 is expected to be made off of investment income, and miscellaneous revenues are projected at $665,408.

Other financing sources, which the county provides figures for as well, totaled out to around $2.9 million for the coming fiscal year. That includes a $1.78 million in funds from the landfill, and an an expected $884,000 fund balance leftover from this fiscal year.

Expenditures are expected to balance out the $22.5 million budget proposed for FY 2020, much of that going toward salaries for employees in various departments, but also includes costs for health care, supplies, utilities and much more.

The FY 2020 figures include $9.6 million in spending for public safety organizations including the Sheriff’s Office and County Police, and also covers Polk County’s EMA and Fire Department, Animal Control, The Probation Office, Coroner and the 911 first responders.

Public Works additionally will require $3.9 million for operations this year, some of that also going toward an expected $607,235 in spending on solid waste collections from the county convenience centers.

Housing and Development — departments like building inspection, the Polk County Airport operations, Planning Zoning and the Extension Service are seeking $477,900 in the budget in FY 2020.

The courts seek more than $2.8 million in funds this year, with a large portion going toward the Clerk of Superior Court’s office to keep up with paperwork filings and the cost of staff.

The County Commission also has to consider whether to fund several items outside of what is in the budget currently, totaling up to $730,883.08 in unfunded requests from several departments.

Those figures included a request not so much for additional funding by the Board of Assessors, but for $23,000 to be shifted eliminate an open assessors position and replace them with contract labor. They’d already done this with one position to help catch up on a back-log of assessments, and seek to continue that practice. The Board of Assessors expects to shift funding for the vacant position’s salary and overhead like group health insurance to the cost of contract labor. They put in their request it wouldn’t actually cost more money to do so.

Additional requests include a $5,000 increase for the fire department to hire a part time position in the department, Board of Assessors need for appraisal companies to come in and do work totaling $580,000, the Extension service request for a salary increase of $3,000 for a new agent’s supplement (which has been requested the past several years) and for $3,883.08 to be spent through the Clerk of Superior Court’s office for the Board of Equalization supervision.

County Probation also asked for $5,400 for a new part-time, as-needed position, the Drug Court seeks $6,000 for supplements for Assistant District Attorneys helping with the court, Probate Court seeks $46,300 for a new full-time employee, Superior Court needs $10,000 for a new contract for the law clerk’s position under Judge Mark Murphy, and the District Attorney’s office made two requests in this budget that are unfunded: a new full-time secretary’s position at $46,300 annually, and $2,000 for supplements for Assistant District Attorneys.

Polk County’s 911 also asked for $46,300 for a new dispatcher position.

Board members also need to consider whether the one-time salary enhancements of 1.25 percent is going to come from in the FY 2020 budget, which totals around $136,422, and how the program should work this year.

Funding in the FY 2020 budget also didn’t include any capital expenditures for infrastructure repairs or improvements beyond what is funded annually by the state, officials reported in the tentative budget.