Commissioners Approve FY15 Budget

The Jasper County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday evening to approve the fiscal year 2015 tax levy, budget, and various tax billings, but not without major discussion.

But before any votes were taken, a public hearing was held on the 2015 tax levy.

Commission Chairman Gene Trammell detailed the additional expenses the county faced going into the budget process and the cuts that they made. He also gave a history lesson, and attempted to dispel any rumor that the county is on a “spending spree.”

Commissioner Doug Luke commented on how the digest has dropped but the cost to run the county has not decreased. He also spoke to the divisiveness in the community, and said that has held us apart.

He said this board had already improved several areas and more improvement would come. He pointed out the library is now open seven days a week, and the county is absorbing federal budget cuts at the senior center, and much additional cost at the landfill.

He said this group of commissioners is dedicated to moving Jasper County forward.

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Commissioner Bruce Henry echoed those words saying, “We are setting an environment to be friendly to companies, and conducting ourselves to be inviting to industry.”

Commissioners Gene Trammell and Craig Salmon echoed their agreement with Mr. Luke’s remarks.

Commissioner Carl Pennamon talked about the need to focus on roads, and Commissioner Luke commented on the cost to pave one mile of road.

When the public hearing was opened, Douglas Grooms said he lived on Smithboro Road, and he spoke of his concern for his 92-year-old mother on a fixed income, and her inability to pay higher taxes. He said he’d like to see some relief for the elderly. He asked why another sales tax wouldn’t work rather than higher property taxes, and the commissioners told him that sales tax cannot be used for maintenance and operations.

Commissioners also told him they are looking at long-term solutions such as attracting business and industry, but that decisions in the past is what they’re paying for now.

Commissioner Luke also pointed out the county’s abundance of natural resources and the potential for revenue gaining through them.

Clifford Akin of Shady Dale told of the burden the increased taxes will put on him, a 90-year-old man who worked all his life to purchase land and raise cattle. He said he has sold land to pay taxes, and said how much his bill is going up. He encouraged the commissioners not to raise taxes as much as they are anticipating. He said he is 100 percent against any increase in taxes.

Mr. Akin served as a county commissioner many years ago, and he said on two occasions he gave land to the county—for Rock Eagle Road and for Aikenton Road. He made it clear he felt like he’s done enough for the county, and the tax increase was going to be a major burden on him. He said take a good look at their office and do a time and motion study and they would find places to cut.

Cissy Benton with the Monticello-Jasper County Chamber of Commerce expressed her appreciation to the commissioners for their hard work on the budget.

The first order of business, after the public hearing, concerned employee health insurance. The commissioners voted a few weeks ago to go with a new plan that would save the county money, but would increase employee’s deductibles significantly. Insurance agent Kelly Fox was able to show commissioners where he had saved the county money, and County Manager Karen Degges asked if they wanted to re-think the increased deductible.

After much discussion concerning the affordable care act and the current chaos in the insurance industry, commissioners voted 3-2 to remain with what they had agreed to which is the higher deductible.

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the curbside fee and the fire district tax before moving to the tax levy.

When discussion the tax levy, Commissioner Henry suggested that they cut the tax increase by the amount of money they are saving on health increase. After much discussion, they agreed instead to put that money in contingency, as there is very little contingency in the 2015 budget, and lots of unknowns.

After they debated that, and whether it made sense to adopt the tax levy before the budget, as called for on the agenda, they voted unanimously to approve both the tax levy and the 2015 budget.