PELL CITY — The St. Clair County Commission has begun the work of putting its budget together for Fiscal Year 2013.
Donna Wood, the county’s chief financial officer, spoke to the commission Tuesday following its regular meeting, to discuss the proposed figures. She said she hopes to have recommendations from the commission before the next regular work session, which will be Aug. 9 in Ashville.
Wood recommended that the commission consider cutting over $1 million from the budget proposals.
“$1,097,000, that’s what I would like for the county commission, that I’m recommending to reduce,” she said. “We’re looking at an ending fund balance of around $2.6 (million), possibly $2.9, if nothing’s done to reduce. But I’m recommending the county commission consider reducing this budget.”
Commissioners received a packet with requests for additional personnel and equipment from each department, as well as additional cost-of-living raises. Wood said she expects the general fund budget to be around $15.9 million, and is unsure of other special revenue funds. Wood suggested that two areas that are most easily reduced would be in “capital assets” and “agencies.”
“The grand total of the budget, altogether, I believe we’re looking at around a $27 million budget,” Wood said. “We’ll just have to see as we work through this.”
Commissioners said they would review all the materials and re-visit the issue Aug. 9. The commission is required to pass the budget before the beginning of the Fiscal Year, Oct. 1.
In other business, the commission:
• Approved an agreement with the federal Natural Resource Conservation Service to extend storm debris cleanup from county waterways until Aug. 27. The work was originally scheduled to be completed by July 31, but NRCS granted the county permission to add a portion of Shoal Creek to the project.
• Awarded the bid for the additional cleanup to DRC Emergency Services, for $188,684.
• Appointed Elaine Miller to the St. Clair County Library Board, to replace Sara Owen. The commission also reappointed Judy Bailey.
• Authorized engineer Dan Dahlke to award the bid for a cross drain under St. Clair 6. Dahlke will open bids Friday.
• Approved a resolution requesting that the Alabama Department of Transportation designate Markeeta Spur Road in Moody as an urban collector, making it eligible for special funds.
• Approved a resolution entering into an agreement with the state of Alabama relating to public transportation, with partial funding through the Federal Transportation Authority for fiscal years 2013, 2014 and 2015.
• Approved a resolution authorizing an application for a Section 5311 public transportation grant. The resolution authorizes Chairman Stan Batemon to execute any and all documents related to the application.
• Approved a resolution authorizing local matching funds for the 5311 grant, in the amount of $397,990.
• Renewed its contract with Trobaugh and Company for sales tax auditing services.
• Approved payment of an invoice from Commercial Carpet Cleaners in the amount of $392.85, for sanitizing bathroom tiles at the county courthouse in Pell City.
• Approved the minutes of the July 10 regular meeting.
• Approved payment of monthly bills.
