Board of supervisors consider budget proposals for new year

By Rick Morain

Jefferson Herald
 
The Greene County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 and Jan. 17 heard budget proposals for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which begins July 1, from a number of county government departments. The board took no action on the proposals pending discussion once all budget requests have been received, likely by early February.
The county compensation board has presented its salary recommendations to the supervisors, but they have not yet acted on them. Departmental requests do not yet include approved salary levels; some of them inserted numbers based on the compensation board’s recommendations.

On Jan. 13, the board heard eight departmental budget proposals.
County Recorder Deb McDonald projected expenditures of $136,712, with revenues just under $79,500 for 2022-23. She recommended that her deputy’s salary be increased to 77 percent of McDonald’s salary; it’s currently at 76 percent. Non-salary items in her proposal reflect a decrease of $600.
Greene County sheriff Jack Williams did not provide specific salaries and wages information, noting that union negotiations in his department have not yet begun. He said that part-time wage totals are expected to decrease due to shift changes from eight hours to twelve hours.
The total general fund expenses portion of Williams’ budget, unrelated to salaries, would increase by $6,600. Rural fund non-salary-related expenditures in his budget reflect an increase of $17,500, with $5,000 of that for new tasers and $10,000 for expected fuel cost increases.

The Greene County sheriff’s department general fund revenues for 2022-23 are estimated to total nearly $131,000. Of that total, $40,000 would come from dispatching services and $48,000 in sheriff fees. Contract law enforcement revenues, including from the county’s non-Jefferson communities, are expected to be $124,000 of the nearly $128,500 revenue estimate for the rural fund.
Mike Bierl reviewed both the veteran services and general assistance budgets. Veteran services expenditures are estimated to reflect an increase of $5,545 for a total of $52,175. He explained that the state provides $10,000 to each county for veteran outreach and other services. Bierl thinks continuing education and training will be resumed on a national level after being canceled due to the pandemic.
Bierl pegs 2022-23 general assistance expenditures at $21,050, a $400 decrease from the current year.
Michelle Fields reviewed the drainage department and information technology/data processing budgets. The drainage line items are projected to increase only in the salary area, with those increases yet to be determined by the board. Current year total expenditures are budgeted slightly over $33,000.
IT/data processing expenses are expected to increase slightly for non-salary line items. The current year’s IT/data processing budget totals $224,600, with a minimal boost of about $2,800 for software and info tech services and equipment.

Jane Heun reviewed the county human services proposed budget. Total expenditures are estimated at $3,764, a decline of $1,700 from the current year. Estimated revenue from indirect cost recoveries is $10,000.
Heun then presented the county’s clerk of court budget, which includes the law library, local and other county sheriff service and mileage costs, juvenile detention and shelter care and other legal costs. The current year’s budget totaling nearly $97,000 is expected to shrink to $88,000.
The board of supervisors’ proposed budget includes compensation board-recommended increases to the supervisor salaries. Those salaries and other expenditures would total $200,430. The current year’s budget is just under $187,900.
Then on Jan. 17 the board heard eight more county department budget proposals.
Tanner Scheuermann reviewed conservation budget proposed expenditures and revenues. He projected increases to non-salary operating expenditures from the general fund at $250,000, a boost of just under $15,000, or 6.2 percent. Increases to full-time salaries are as yet undetermined.

Conservation revenue estimates remain relatively unchanged for the general fund, with camping receipts pegged at $200,000. Scheuermann asked that $50,000 of expected camping fees be used for a new vault toilet at Seven Hills Park and upgraded signage at all parks. Also included would be $50,000 from donations and grant funding to help fund projects.
County attorney Thomas Laehn projected very few changes from the current year in his department’s non-salary line items. Salary lines reflect the 15 percent increase recommended by the compensation board for Laehn and smaller increases for assistant county attorney and office manager positions. Those increases have not yet been determined.
Laehn requested a $500 increase to legal and court-related services expenditures to raise that figure to $3,500 Other line items would remain unchanged.
Expected county attorney revenues include copy fees as well as county attorney recovery fees collected by Boone County and deposited monthly in Greene County. Fifty percent of recovery fees are then repaid to Boone County per the two-county joint 28E agreement. Recovery fee revenues are estimated to total $35,000 next fiscal year.

County treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen estimated 2022-23 receipts at $155,000, up from the current year’s $149,600 budget. She said she intends to drop the $9,000 line item to zero for the part-time driver’s license examiner position that is currently unfilled. The full-time drive examiner continues to perform tests and drives. General fund non-salary expenditures would remain relatively unchanged in total at $29,200.
Chuck Wenthold presented the environmental health budget, which estimates revenues at $52,000 if all grant monies are used. Revenues for the department come from septic and well permits, zoning petitions and grants to counties for well and cistern closings, water testing, and well reconstruction. He said all 99 counties are eligible for $40,000 for the grants to counties program.
Expenditures in environmental health would remain relatively unchanged at $67,500, when a five percent pay increase is used for Wenthold and postage and water test line items are decreased by a total of $1,700.
County emergency management costs would include $4,000 for the second year of a five-year plan to update the county’s hazard mitigation plan through Region XII Council of Governments. Additionally, the county expects to contribute $35,000 toward the emergency management commission’s budget for the next fiscal year. That contribution is currently $33,000.    
The medical examiner budget is estimated to remain at $25,000 for 2022-23. That budget includes expected costs for autopsies, county medical examiner and medical examiner investigator fees, supplies and education.
Billie Hoskins presented the elections and auditor budget. The elections portion of the budget includes costs for a general election rather than city and school elections for the next fiscal year. Currently, precinct election officials (poll workers) earn $10 per hour; Hoskins asked the board to consider raising that rate to $11 per hour in the next fiscal year. The election budget is nearly $128,500 for personnel and election-related costs. No election revenue is expected in fiscal year 2022-23.

The auditor’s office budget is estimated to total nearly $144,500 next fiscal year when using the compensation board’s recommendations for salaries. That budget does not yet reflect an additional auditor’s office position expected to be added in 2022-23.

On other matters on Jan. 17, County attorney Laehn recapped the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reimpose the stay on the federal vaccine mandate for businesses. The case now returns to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling removes the county’s obligation to have a vaccine policy in place for employees.
Treasurer Mechaelsen discussed new guidelines for the disabled and senior citizens (DSC) property tax credit that is effective as of Jan. 1. The Legislature adjusted higher the 2022 household income that allows claimants 70 years of age or older to qualify for the property tax credit. Those claimants may apply in the county treasurer’s office on the second floor of the courthouse until June 1.
Conservation director Scheuermann reported derecho debris cleanup at Spring Lake last week went well with help from the secondary roads crew. Spring Lake Park is now open again.
Environmental health director Wenthold reported that $10 million has been allocated for unsewered communities to repair or replace septic systems on a first-come, first-served basis. Iowa Finance Authority is the program administrator.

Engineer Wade Weiss reported that the Highway 30 Coalition plans to discuss with the supervisors the cost for an economic impact study for the Highway 30 corridor through Greene and other counties.
The board approved the county substance abuse prevention services semi-annual report.
On non-budget matters on Jan. 13, sheriff Williams reported that the county jail committee has recommended the ISG firm for professional pre-referendum planning services for a new jail. Williams asked that the board consider an agreement with ISG at an upcoming meeting.

Supervisor Pete Bardole reported that Greene County Development Corporation asked that the board schedule a time at a February board meeting to discuss the proposed Highway 30 corridor economic impact study. The board agreed.
The supervisors are now meeting every Monday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. during the budget preparation period in the board room on second floor of the courthouse.