The offices of county clerk and county judge presented their proposed 2012 budgets Monday to the Mississippi County Quorum Court's Finance Committee, as part of the committee's ongoing efforts to create a working 2012 budget for the county.
County Clerk Lib Shippen told the committee she was unable to make cuts in some areas of her budget where other offices had done so. The clerk's office is required by law to do mass mailings to all county residents, informing them of changes made in the districting of their areas because of the results of the 2010 census. This process, according to Shippen, will result in an increase rather than a decrease in the areas of office supplies and postage. Shippen also expects a budgetary increase on the line item of election supplies for 2012. Members of the committee agreed, however, that these expenditures were necessary and that nothing could be done to avoid them.
Another increase expected, in a budget year when all offices were asked to make as many cuts as possible, will be coming in the area of repairs and maintenance to both county courthouses. According to County Judge Randy Carney, the ceiling in the Blytheville courthouse and the restrooms in the Osceola courthouse are both in serious need of repair, and more than $100,000 in the courthouse budget could be needed to do those repairs, but that amount has not been added to the budget as a line item. Discussion followed about the extensive costs needed to maintain both courthouses, and the need in the future for a new or renovated building.
As for the judge's office budget, Carney reported that there would not be much change from last year, as most of the costs of his office are fixed, although he did point out that a line item had been added for business expenses, in the amount of $1,000, for the purpose of buying meals for visiting officials, etc.
The Sanitation Department's budget also saw a necessary increase in the line items for fuel, because of steeply rising costs. The landfill was able to save money this year on equipment purchases, according to landfill supervisor Nathan Taylor. Taylor said he was having several machines used at the landfill rebuilt instead of purchasing new ones, saving the county more than $700,000, approximately.
The County Roads Department is in the process of rebuilding several bridges, which is an expense, but Carney said that the county had no choice in this matter, as the state government dictates when roadways need to be repaired. The county will also be putting up $50,000 in order to receive a grant of $400,000 for the purpose of resurfacing hard top roads.
According to County Treasurer Peggy Meatte, tax collection revenues are up $500,000 from where they were in October of last year, and Justice Michael White told the committee that if the millage increase is passed next month by the full Court, the county should be able to keep on steady financial ground.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com