Fiscal
Court begins talk on 2008 budget
By JOSHUA
COFFMAN
Landmark News Service
Owen County Fiscal Court
members met Wednesday afternoon at the county courthouse in an
initial session to begin discussing a budget for the 2008 fiscal
year.
During the meeting, which Judge-Executive Billy O’Banion
dubbed an informal “budget workshop,” court members
learned of revenues and expenditures for the county. No action
was taken during the meeting, and O’Banion plans to have
several additional sessions throughout April before magistrates
approve a budget, likely by early June.
An early draft of an estimated budget forecasts just under $2.9
million in revenue, along with a projected $450,000 in revenue
carried over from the 2007 fiscal year, providing a forecasted
total of more than $3.3 million.
Estimates for the current fiscal year total more than $3.8 million,
including about $500,000 in federal, state and Homeland Security
grants.
O’Banion told magistrates during the meeting that the 2008
draft gives a lowball estimate, and he noted that the county does
not have a lot of revenue for discretionary spending.
Included in the 2008 early estimates is nearly $1.2 million allotted
for the county road fund and about $250,000 for the county jail
fund — numbers on par with those from the 2007 budget.
Several possible projects were discussed for the upcoming budget,
including the purchase of a new ambulance, buying land for a new
kennel or animal shelter, and getting a scale set for the transfer
station.
The county last bought an ambulance for its fleet two years ago,
according to O’Banion. He said he anticipates the cost of
a new ambulance to be $90,000 to $100,000, with the county making
yearly lease payments.
O’Banion said a scale set is desired for the transfer station
to more accurately charge for disposing of construction materials.
He said the facility currently uses the honor system for charges.
Fiscal Court members also discussed future construction of a new
county courthouse.
The General Assembly put the county near the top of a list for
a new courthouse during last year’s session.
But O’Banion said that money would not likely show up in
the upcoming budget, with construction on the facility slated
to start sometime in 2009.
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