By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County’s new budget for 2017 calls for 3 percent raises for about 430 employees and $300,000 to help Bowling Green build two roundabouts at I-75 and Wooster Street.
The appropriations for next year total $43 million – about $2 million more than in 2016.
“It generally reflects the current healthy status of the county and our revenue sources,” Wood County Administrator Andrew Kalmar said of the budget.
The pay raises add up to another $698,000 from the general fund. The 3 percent increases were approved for employees in all commissioners’ departments, as well as those in the prosecutor’s, recorder’s, court security and public defender’s offices. A 3 percent increase will also be given to all remaining elected officials and general fund departments to distribute as they see fit.
The funding to assist Bowling Green with the roundabouts was made after city officials asked the county for $1 million to help pay for the traffic circles. That request was later lowered to $750,000, Kalmar said, with the county ending up giving $300,000.
“They felt that was a reasonable amount,” Kalmar said.
The appropriations include $1 million in the permanent improvement fund, in an attempt to rebuild that fund. “It is the fund that helps us care for county facilities,” Kalmar said.
The county also created a new fund to pay the cost of vacation and sick leave when employees retire, and to help cushion the effect of the 27 paycheck year that occurs every 12 years.
Following are some of the bigger budget items for next year:
- $312,000 to replace and realign all the parking lot and exterior lighting at the East Gypsy Lane Complex. The LED lighting is expected to provide a significant savings on energy and maintenance costs.
- $219,664 to purchase six road patrol SUVs for the sheriff’s office.
- $323,700 for ongoing support of the information technology system for all county offices.
- $139,150 for the county office building northwest paver roof.
- $100,000 for hot water boilers at the jail.
- $73,510 for new carpeting in the prosecutor’s office.
- $60,000 for three new vehicles for the Department of Jobs and Family Services.
- $60,500 for a landfill loader.
- $60,000 for a new bus for Wood Haven Health Care.
The commissioners also approved the addition of two full-time positions in the prosecuting attorney’s office. “Because of the ongoing cost of employees we are tightfisted with regard to new requests,” the commissioners’ letter about the budget stated.
However, increased caseloads in the civil and criminal divisions of the prosecutor’s office led the commissioners to approve $139,123 to support one civil assistant prosecutor and one criminal assistant prosecutor.
The sheriff’s request for an expansion of the booking area at the jail is not in the budget, but Kalmar said the commissioners are planning ahead for the project which is estimated at $5 million.
“I believe the commissioners will move forward for the budgeting for the project,” he said.
Though the revenue projections look good for next year, the county is gearing up to take a hit in Medicaid sales tax, which Ohio will no longer be able to collect next year. That change will mean a reduction of $900,000 in sales tax annually, Kalmar said.
“That is of concern to us, certainly,” he said.
Otherwise, the sales tax revenue remains healthy, at around $20 million a year.
“Wood County has had a significant amount of retail growth over the last 10 years,” Kalmar said. “That has helped us tremendously make up for losses.”
Those losses include a big cut in Local Government Funds – which Kalmar doesn’t hold out hope for recovering. “I don’t anticipate any change from what we have now.”
The other big loss has been seen in interest revenue. At its peak in 2007, the county brought in about $4.3 million in interest revenue. That has dropped to barely $1 million annually in the last couple years.
Kalmar also noted that the new year comes with some new elected officials at the county, including Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger, Commissioner Ted Bowlus, Engineer John Musteric, and Treasurer Jane Spoerl.
“It’s going to be another year of change,” Kalmar said.
