County council gears up for budget season

County council gears up for budget season

With 2015 budget hearings just around the corner on Sept. 2 and 3, the Putnam County Council spent part of its August meeting discussing a number of issues that will be considered again in a couple of weeks.

The Greencastle Community Schools budget, new employees in two departments and ambulance service funding were all on the agenda for the Tuesday meeting.

The meeting opened with the official public hearing for the 2015 Greencastle Community Schools budget. This matter has been a county council responsibility for several years since a state law began requiring appointed school boards to have their budgets approved by an elected body.

As has been the case each year, no public comment was made, and the council adjourned the hearing without comment.

Budget approval for Greencastle Schools will come during budget hearings.

The council also twice examined the subject of adding full-time employees to the county payroll. A hiring freeze in place since 2008 has kept the county from adding new positions in the past. However, a couple of new cases look a little different.

Kathleen VanArsdale of the Microfilm Department approached the council requesting a new full-time employee beginning in 2015.

VanArsdale had previously received the approval of the Putnam County Commissioners and has included the additional salary in her 2015 budget request.

The need springs from an ever-increasing load of cases in both county courtrooms. VanArsdale has gotten by in the past with only herself and a part-time deputy, but she believes the time has passed for adding another full-time employee.

"I've need a full-time person for some time," VanArsdale said. "I think you guys have all known that."

With court cases required by law to be placed on microfilm, Councilman Larry Parker expressed his support for the request.

"I don't see any way around it," Parker said, acknowledging the hiring freeze, but adding that something needs to be done.

No action was required on Tuesday, but the matter will be revisited at budget time.

In the case of the courthouse custodial department, the addition of a full-time employee will be coming sooner. Head custodian Brian Smith has been overseeing the installation of a new HVAC system in the courthouse. To minimize cost, nearly all work has been performed in house.

Smith said he believes this trend can continue if the county cuts out all outside contract labor and instead hires an additional custodian through the end of 2016, the project's projected completion date.

The county can pay for this through the end of 2014. The first is the transfer of $10,065 from the custodian's contract labor fund to the full-time employees fund.

The second is transfer of $10,193 for part-time labor at the Putnam County Jail to the county general fund.

The two moves accommodate the transfer of part-time jail custodian Doug Crawley to his new status as full-time custodian at the courthouse. The council approved both proposals, clearing the way for Crawley's transfer.

Funding for the position in 2015 will be addressed during budget hearings.

The 2015 Operation Life budget was also briefly addressed by Executive Director Kraig Kinney.

The commissioners have already approved renewing the county's contract with the local ambulance provider, but funding sources and levels are the charge of the council.

Kinney is requesting the 2014 funding level of $80,000 be maintained.

In other news, the council approved an almost unheard of reduction request for one fund.

With the Putnam County Jail projected to lose nearly all of its Department of Correction inmates in 2014, the council appropriated $200,000, last year in County Adjusted Gross Income Tax (CAGIT) funds to the jail budget.

The budget hit has not yet come, however, and the jail budget will remain in the black without the outside help. The $200,000 will be returned to the CAGIT fund.

The Putnam County Council next meets on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 2 and 3 for the annual budget hearings.