| www.wvgazette.com
Charleston Gazette March 1
Elected officials in Calhoun County went without their paychecks Monday because the county didn't have the money to pay them, a county commissioner said.
County Commission President Larry McCallister said Calhoun County is running low on money because it had to spend more than expected to jail inmates at the Central Regional Jail in Flatwoods, Braxton County.
The bill more than doubled, he said, from about $65,000 in 2003 to $145,000 in 2004.
McCallister also said the county's tax collections are down for this time of year. He said some funds are due this week, and he hopes to pay the elected officials by Wednesday.
In January, the commission dropped the elected officials' health insurance. In February, they also told all elected officials, such as the sheriff, assessor and prosecuting attorney, to lay off one employee in their offices, McCallister said.
He did not think the county would be able to rehire those employees before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
McCallister said the jail bill accounts for roughly 20 percent of the Calhoun County's budget. Commissioners looked at numbers from 2003 when the county planned how much to set aside for the bill in the current fiscal year.
"In 2003, we averaged about $7,000 a month," he said. "In 2004, we had one month that was $20,000. It's really a major problem, especially in some of the smaller counties." Calhoun County has about 7,500 people, he said.
The daily rate to jail inmates has increased slightly, but McCallister blamed most of bill on more arrests.
He also said the county had to pay an extra $10,000 this year for a computer system in the assessor's office. Calhoun County's liability insurance also increased by about $10,000.
Commissioners decided to reassess the value of the county's woodlands and managed timberlands, so they can collect more in property taxes.
The increase won't go into effect until the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, he said. McCallister thinks the increase could raise an additional $50,000 a year.
Commissioners might also sell some property or ask the state for help.
| 
