County Salary Increases Still Possible
As of Aug. 11, no action had been taken regarding any salary increases for Glasscock County employees, as the county commissioners’ court continued work on the 2003-2004 budget at their regular meeting. However, commissioners asked County Treasurer Alan Dierschke to prepare tentative budgets projecting across-the-board raises of both $300 and $600 annually for discussion at their next regular meeting on Sept. 8. They also asked that he use a three percent tax rate increase in making the projections. The court must first adopt a budget, then set the tax rate for the next fiscal year by Sept. 30. Dierschke projects that, in a best-case scenario, the county will have a total of $60,000 in reserve at the end of the current fiscal year.
Figures from Royce Pruit, Glasscock County’s Tax Assessor/Collector, show the county’s effective tax rate, the rate that would generate the same revenues as last year (approximately $1.9 million), is .57526 per $100 valuation. A three percent increase, the maximum unless notices are published and hearings held, is .59252 per $100, and would raise slightly over $2 million, according to Dierschke. An additional 5 cents bond tax (for the community center) raises $185.000, Dierschke said.
Road Crew Budget Unchanged --- So Far
Tentatively, the court chose to keep the budget for “Road Crew” unchanged from last year, at a total of $597,000, not including salaries and benefits. Some of the major line items include $100,000 allocated for equipment, $100,000 for repairs, supplies and upkeep, $60,000 for fuels, $15,000 for tires and tubes, $75,000 in road building materials, and $200,000 for paving and seal coating. Another $10,600 is budgeted in a Lateral Road Fund, which is reimbursed by the state.
Salaries for the county’s road crew, which numbers13 full and part-time employees, currently total $320,000, with benefits and taxes costing the county an additional $67,000.
Commissioners have raised the budget for Steve Sturtz a new pickup to $26,000 and lowered his vehicle fuel and repairs budget by $3,000 to $7,000. There has been some discussion of putting the ag agent’s pickup in a four-year rotation with the sheriff’s department’s three vehicles, which now are rotated every three years, but no final decision has been made. If such a rotation were implemented, the planned purchase of a new car for the sheriff’s department in fiscal year 2003-2004 would be postponed a year.
Other tentative major budget items include $330,000 in health and property insurance ($74,000 for property and workmen’s compensation insurance), $25,000 in landfill expenses, $43,000 for predator trappers’ expense ($5,300 of this contributed by the local livestock association) and $50,000 in a miscellaneous fund. Another $58,500 is earmarked for the Emergency Medical Service ($46,000 for modification of an ambulance and $12,500 for expenses such as fuel, supplies, and training).
Courthouse Roof Still a Problem
The court was to discuss prices for a new courthouse roof with roofer Kirby Hartmann, but he was not present. Dierschke voiced concern about spending around $40,000 for a new roof that might not be acceptable to the state historical commission in the event of a courthouse restoration. Commissioners Michael Hoch and Jimmy Strube said the county can’t keep waiting for a new roof and can’t wait on the historical commission’s approval. No action was taken.
The court voted to waive the requirement for hired security when alcohol is served in the community center for a private event Sept. 16. Sturtz said Mike Jones plans an investment meeting for about 20 people from 5:30 to 8 p.m. that day and will serve beer from a cooler.
Several options regarding future sale of surplus equipment were discussed, including a several-day silent auction, or combining with the school’s surplus sale, or consigning items to a large surplus sale in Pecos.