County approves budget

Pike County commissioners held a special called meeting Saturday morning at 9 a.m. to unanimously approve the county’s fiscal year 2013-14 budget just two days before the budget goes into effect July 1. The total general fund budget approved was $8,596,948. The budget includes a Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant road project at a total cost of $455,760 with the county matching the grant with $144,000. More than $100,000 of the matching funds will be taken from the county’s general fund. ’The bottom line is we were able to reduce the general fund budget down to what it was last year before adding in our match obligation for the LMIG road project,’ said interim county manager Rob Morton. The final adoption of the budget was approved by a 5-0 vote. Commissioner James Jenkins was absent at the second reading of the budget but a Saturday special called meeting was held for the final adoption so he could attend. Around $53,000 in cuts were made between the second and third reading of the budget. Impact fees were used to cover reductions in several departments, including $5,752 from the Parks and Recreation Authority, $2,210 from the library and $2,800 from the fire department and EMS. The jail fund was reduced by an additional $22,000. The final approved budget included a part time position for the county’s administrative office using funds from impact fees. During a nearly three hour meeting Tuesday, June 25, Pike County commissioners approved the second reading of the fiscal year 2013-14 budget, scheduled a third reading and discussed possible changes to the county’s personnel policy. Morton presented commissioners several options regarding the second reading of the budget. He said staff would make adjustments that the majority of the commission directs them to make. ’We’ve continued to address changes. We have the net increase in the budget down to $21,000 if you take out the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant,’ he said. ‘We haven’t had the unanimity of all the commissioners on the changes. We’d be happy to make the changes but we need to make sure we have directions from a majority of the commission.’