County Commission passes $65 million budget
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Shelby County has a $65.13 million budget to work with for the next year. The county commission passed the budget at its Monday night meeting by a vote of 8-1, with Commissioner Lindsey Allison voting no.
The budget consists of $65.13 million in expenditures and a projected $65.35 million in revenues with a balance of $221,297.
Expenditures are up in the county over last year. Last years budget consisted of $62.85 million in expenditures. Projected revenue is up as well, coming in at $63.29 during fiscal year 2002.
Projected revenues include an increase of 7 percent, or $8.25 million, in sales tax revenues.
Commissioner Don Armstrong, chairman of the finance committee, was pleased with the budget.
&uot;Our policy has been that the budget stays within the projected revenues,&uot; he said. &uot;That has been very successful for the county. This is our conservative approach to the budgeting process.&uot;
He said the outlook was good for projected revenues.
&uot;When everybody else feels a pinch, Shelby County will either flatten out or grow a little bit. That’s because of the businesses coming in. I feel comfortable with our projections,&uot; Armstrong said.
Property taxes in the county are expected to bring in $7 million, 6.4 percent over last year’s $6.6 million.
Other sources of the county’s revenue for fiscal year 2003 include:
n Motor vehicle ad valorem tax, $1.3 million.
n Mortgage and deed filing tax, $1.2 million.
n Rental tax, $1.88 million.
n Probate Judge fees, $1.08 million.
n Tax assessor’s office, $1.3 million.
n Tax collector’s office, $1.3 million.
n Lodging tax, $1.02 million.
n Landfill disposal fees, $3.6 million.
Expenditures are divided into general government, public safety, health, welfare, culture and recreation and education.
Among the countys various expenditures are those for general government: for county development services, $2.2 million; for drug court, $190,000; for the probate judge, $705,848; for property maintenance, $2.02 million; for the personnel department, $175,392; for management information services, $1.16 million; for the courthouse, $318,600; for facilities management, $1.06 million.
Public safety has a budget of $14.8 million which includes $7.5 million for the sheriffs department; $2.8 million for the jail; $148,061 for the emergency management agency; $155,680 for the coroner; $700,000 for juvenile court services; $1.07 million for juvenile detention; and $1 million for special road projects.
Health has a budget of $477,400 including $25,000 for ozone non-attainment measures; $300,000 for the Humane Society and Animal Services; and $92,400 for environmental services.
Appropriations under welfare, culture and recreation are the outside agencies which requested funding from the commission.
Listed under the education budget was a $75,000 appropriation for the Shelby County Board of Education.
The budget also includes a number of capital projects for the county including the jail reserve addition, $1 million; FAA grants at the Shelby County Airport, $790,191; $500,000 at Shelby West Corporate Park; $300,000 for a senior kitchen and storage at the park planned for Alabaster; and a $1.3 million appropriation for two park projects.
Also included in the budget were appropriations for the landfill, the water system and the sewer system.
To operate the landfill this year, the county will pay $1.53 million in operating expenses and $3.7 million in non-operating expenses.
To operate the water system, the county will pay $2.68 million in operating expenses and $2.2 million in plant expenses.
To operate the sewer system during fiscal year 2003, the county will pay $1.7 million. Non-operating expenses will be $883,804 with a $488,583 contribution to the reserve fund