By Debbie Hall
Supplemental payments allocated to some offices was questioned at a budget work session that predated last week’s vote to increase the real estate tax, from the current .57 cents per $100 to .68 cents per $100.
The additional revenue is needed to help plug a $3.1 million deficit in the more than $56 million proposed budget for fiscal 2020 budget. In addition to the tax hike, the budget committee also proposed refinancing certain debt and reapplying for a Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN) to help offset the deficit.
Even with those efforts, and providing the county can refinance the debt, a deficit of $1.5 million will remain.
The county allocates nearly that amount (not including funds for part-time or overtime) to several offices which also receive funds from the State Compensation Board. The state uses a formula that is based on population, workload and other factors to calculate the number of employees needed in each office and determine the salaries paid.
Localities can – at their discretion – provide supplemental payments, additional positions, etc., according to online information.
According to documents provided by the county, positions were added and/or supplements are paid to several. In alphabetical order:
A total of $21,701 in county funds is allocated to the Clerk of Circuit Court’s office and divided among four positions, with the top position paid a total of $102,456, including $96,795 of state funds and $5,661 in county funds. Supplements paid to the three remaining positions vary from $4,006 to $7,498, documents showed.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office receives a total of $60,374 in local funds, according to documents. That includes $7,126 paid to the top position for a total salary of $129,032, including state and local funds. The amount of local funds for three remaining positions varies from $196 to $16,838. One position, with a $25,000 salary, is paid entirely by the county, documents showed.
The local supplement allocated to the Commissioner of Revenue’s office totals $86,197. The top position is paid $11,944 in local funds, for a total annual salary (state and local funds) of $80,128, documents showed. The county supplement for two positions varies, from $17,922 for one position to $28,022 for another. Local funds of $28,309 are tapped to entirely pay one position, according to documents.
All 30 positions in the Department of Social Services are allocated a combination of state and local funds, according to documents provided by the county.
The $164,174 local funds are allocated for supplements of $3,394 on the low end to $10,372 for the top position. The highest amount of state funds — $56,547 — also is paid to the top position, for a total annual salary of $66,919, documents showed.
The E-911 center has 11 employees, with local supplements/salaries totaling $221,272. Five positions are partially funded by the state, for an additional $139,179, according to county documents. The top position is paid a total of $49,245, with $15,773 in local funds and $33,472 in state funds, documents showed.
The Registrar’s Office includes local funds of $3,282 and state funds of $46,468, all of which are allocated to the single position in that office.
Local funds totaling $803,490 are allocated among a number of positions in the Sheriff’s Office, including the more than half, or $453,839, used to fully fund 12 of the 62 positions listed in documents provided by the county.
The remainder is tapped for supplements that range from $911 to $29,015, documents show.
Local funds of $4,810 and state funds of $87,236, are allocated to the top position, for a total of $92,046, according to documents provided by the county.
One position is funded by a $40,000 grant and is not included in any of the state/local funding totals.
The Treasurer’s Office receives $99,961 local funds, with the top position allocated $67,208 in state funds and $12,857 in local funds for a total of $80,065. Additional local funds are used allocated from a low of $21,539 and $29,474 to a high of $36,091, documents showed.
Other county departments are entirely funded by local monies. They include the Animal Pound, Building Inspection, Circuit Court, County Administration, DMV, Erosion & Sediment, Economic Development, Finance, Maintenance, Recreation, Tax Mapping, Tourism, Transfer Station and Emergency Response – the county’s career fire/EMS squad. The latter is allocated local funds of $267,264, documents showed.
The Emergency Management position is partially funded by a grant, documents showed.
