Commissioners Discuss Funding
The Jasper County Commissioners met for a work session at the senior center on January 27 before moving on to their regular meeting room to get a review of the 2013 audit.
The commissioners now operate on a fiscal year, running July 1 to June 30, so the audit was for the year that ended last June.
In addition, the reason for the meeting at the senior center was to review services there…view the building, and be accessible to the seniors interested in attending the work session, and to learn about state and federal budget cuts affecting the senior center.
The changes to funding of the senior center seem to be forever shifting as new information was presented at the meeting that varied from what the county officials had in advance.
The paperwork provided by the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission shows the center’s funding for meals is being reduced by $1,009 a month—$622 for meals eaten at the center, and $387 for those delivered to the homebound. More recent documentation, however, showed the state will pick up a little of the federal cut, making the county’s responsibility slightly less than $1,000 monthly.
In the ensuing discussion, about whether the money to take up the slack was available in contingency, and any department that might be under-budget and able to absorb the cost, it was learned the commission is under budget. They lost an employee more than a month ago that has not yet been replaced.
County Manager Karen Degges informed commissioners, however, that there are three computers in that office in serious need of replacement.
{{more}}
When the commissioners got to their regular meeting, they voted to take $7,500 from contingency to continue funding the senior center through this fiscal year. The commissioners are concerned, however, about how the fluctuating changes will affect next year’s budget.
It was clear they hoped to have accurate numbers in the near future as they begin the budget process for the 2015 fiscal year.
The county’s auditor Mark Hardison reviewed the high points of the county’s audit with commissioners, saying he is able to issue a “clean” opinion, although there are indeed several areas of concern.
He expressed concern that the landfill recorded revenues of $71,530, while having expenses of $418,145. He said that the county is not alone in this area where the landfill’s expenses far exceed revenues, but said the county needs to make journal entries offsetting the loss so it is not as large.
The complete copy of the audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is available at the county’s website, jaspercountyga.org. In her update to the commissioners, Ms. Degges said that representatives of the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Ga. Department of Natural Resources visited the landfill the previous week and were very pleased with what they saw. Ms. Deggs has been working earnestly to dispose of the fiber at the landfill which the county has been under a consent order to do for several years. After the consultants got permission to buy the fiber in the current cells and expand a little differently than the norm, she has used county employees to get the work done.
Ms. Degges and the county commissioners recognize roads have suffered some during this period, but the lang-standing problem needed to be fixed. The EPD could have begun levying a hefty fee to the county for being out of compliance.
Also at the regular meeting, the commissioners briefly discussed county road acceptance procedures. Apparently many roads that were built by developers during the building boom are not yet on the maps as county roads.
County Attorney Jim Alexander said once the plats on the road are accepted, the road is accepted as if by default. The county ordinances governs how road are accepted by the county, and Mr. Alexander said if they have done all the county requires, the county cannot refuse the road.
The county’s ordinance requires roads to be built to a certain standard, and it is up to the developer to show the county zoning office proof that those guidelines have been met. There was some suggestion that the county should check the road, but that would require engineers fees which the builder has to attest to anyway.
During the citizen comment portion of the meeting, Charles Forsythe warned the county against accepting substandard roads to become the county’s problem.
Also at that time, former Commissioner Mary Patrick told commissioners they have to vote on the qualifying fees.
(The fees are set by the state—three percent of the base salary for the office. The amounts for the county commission and school board races that will be up for election this year ran in the paper last month, as required by law.)
Apparently the commissioners were not aware of the need to vote, and voted once reminded.
Mrs. Patrick also questioned which check numbers were approved as part of the consent agenda, as no numbers were read aloud to be entered into the minutes. She also questioned the road acceptance policy. Lastly, she commented on the tax incentives given to Norton Packaging to encourage the company to locate here.
Commissioner Doug Luke this week sent some information on the tax incentives to his constituents. Anyone with questions could contact Commissioner Luke or the County Manager Karen Degges, or any number of other individuals.. The county has adopted a uniform e-mail system with each commissioner, the county manager and others being reached by their first initial and last name @jaspercountyga.org.
Norton is expected to begin production by next month, with an initial 20 or so employees, which will be up closer to 100 in a couple years.
