FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee is holding a public hearing Thursday night to discuss their proposed $6.02 million spending package for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
The public hearing will be held Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Franklin County Superior Courthouse.
The total budget, including the anticipated revenue, for the upcoming year was not available Monday. The budget for 2015-2016 totals $5,718,243.
During their review of the budget last month, the budget advisory committee cut $214,033 from the initial $6,027,259 million spending package recommended by county commissioners in April.
Included in the cuts was the across the board elimination of a 2 percent cost-of-living pay increase for the county government’s non-union employees.
Contractual negotiations with the county’s unionized departments had occurred before the committee met to review the budget, and the finalized 2016-2017 contracts for unionized employees included a 2 percent cost-of-living increase.
With the union contracts being settled to include the increase prior to the review of the budget, budget advisory committee member Steve Bunker said it sets an “unusual precedent” when the committee is looking to set wages for the county employees who are not unionized.
“It puts the budget committee in a tough position,” Bunker said.
Unionized county departments include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, the Franklin County Jail and the Franklin County Communications Center.
Included in the proposed budget is the restructuring of annual salaries and benefits for the county’s three commissioners. The budget committee set a flat pay rate of $12,000 per commissioner per year, $2,979 more than what was requested by commissioners. However, the committee recommended cutting the benefits offered to commissioners by $15,895, allocating $18,149 in funding toward their benefits rather than the $34,044 requested by commissioners.
Also included in the committee’s cuts was $30,000 from the sheriff department’s request of $120,00 to buy four new cruisers. The cut will allow the department to buy three new cruisers.
Following the public hearing, the budget committee is scheduled to vote on the proposed budget on Thursday, June 23. On the following Tuesday, June 28, the commissioners will vote on the budget. The only way the commissioners could alter the budget adopted by the budget committee would be by a unanimous vote. If the budget is changed by the county commissioners, the budget committee may reject the changes by a two-thirds vote of its membership.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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