The Finance Committee of the Mississippi County Quorum Court held their regular monthly meeting Monday afternoon and discussed a range of issues, including authorizing County Judge Randy Carney to take out a $750,000 loan in order to get the Treasurer's Office "out of the red" before Jan. 1.
They also voted to postpone giving county employees bonuses until January (at least). Committee Chairman Michael White told the committee that as of Monday, the county general account was at just below $900,000. Additionally, the anticipated tax settlement would bring in an additional $900,000 to $1 million. White also said that the first quarter of every new year is when finances get "pretty tight." White also polled the committee regarding how they felt about giving county employee bonuses at this time. He added that the previous bonus included $1,200 for full-time employees and $600 for part-time employees.
He also explained that employees that had been hired after the first of the year were pro-rated according to whether or not they were full-time or part-time and how long they had been employed.
Justice Bill Nelson said that he was not comfortable with having to borrow money to bring the landfill budget "into the black" while at the same time trying to give bonuses. Justice Rick Ash said that he would love to see the employees get the bonus, but that if the money was going to be so tight, maybe they should consider lowering the amount of the bonuses.
Carney told the committee that employees appreciate the bonus very much and that he would personally like to see the employees get the bonus.
White then reminded committee members that in 2015 revenues in the first quarter was $1.8 million and that this year first quarter revenues were at $1.6 million. Therefore, "there will be some revenue coming in to boost county general."
Sheriff Dale Cook said that if he had a vote in the matter, he would vote 'no' if the county is having to borrow money to get out of debt.
Upon confirming that the bonuses would indeed cost approximately $300,000, Justice Ash stated that the county has three payrolls in December to cover and that, after seeing the numbers on paper, he felt the county did not have the money at the present time to do a bonus.
Treasurer Peggy Meatte stated that there would still be a freeze on spending in the new year.
Nelson then made a motion to postpone the bonuses until after the first of the year and then the committee could reconsider.
Justice Barry Ball seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously.
In other matters, the committee discussed the county landfill's deficit. White said that as of Monday, the landfill was "in the red" by $595,000.
He added that the committee needed to work with Carney about getting a loan in a timely manner so that the Treasurer's office could be "back in the black" by the end of the year, as is statutorily required.
Ball then made a motion authorizing Carney to borrow up to $750,000. Nelson seconded the motion and the committee unanimously agreed.
Lastly, White reminded the committee that a new compactor was needed for the now operational new cell at the landfill. White added that he had visited with Riggs Caterpillar and that the company had also met with Carney. The committee had agreed a couple months ago to revisit the issue of the county entering into lease payments after the beginning of the new year.
White said that the contract has been set up to start payments after Jan. 1, with lease payments of $12,112.70 per month.