| By Dianne Weaver
Calhoun's commissioners discussed financial shortfalls facing the county, Wednesday.
While focusing on a major hole in the county budget for 2011-12, money problems are already popping up in elected officials budgets, mostly because officials had voluntarily agreed to a $5,000 across-the-board cut earlier.
Elected officials had already tightened their budgets.
The 2011-12 budget could have a $300,000 hole, with no known source of revenue to fill the gap.
The commission told the elected officials earlier this year they would restore the $5,000 cut with carry-over money, but that has not been an option with continued shortfalls.
The commission has set a special meeting for October 19 at 4 p.m. for all elected officials and county employees, which generally numbers 14. While 911 employees are county workers,they are funded mostly with designated state money.
"Elected officials have long been helpful to trim their budgets and make cut-backs during difficult times, but because of the recession, a decline in funds distributed to counties from the state, and a stagnant tax base, this is a real crisis," said Commission President Bob Weaver.
The county's disposable budget is about $1,300,000, one of the lowest in the state. The over-all budget is about $2,000,000, which includes designated pass-through funds.
Commissioners Helmick and Westfall called the matter "depressing," saying the county has always been operated on a shoe-string budget, with Weaver saying, "The shoe-string is breaking."
Calhoun has long struggled to keep the Regional Jail bill paid, and once again it appears money budgeted for the jail bill could be $100,000 more than budgeted.
"About 12 years ago we owed Regional Jail authorities over $200,000, but managed to finally pay the bill down," said Weaver.
"We've kept the bill paid, but now we're facing the problem again.
It's not that the people in jail don't need to be there, it's a cost-shifting system that just doesn't work," he said.
West Virginia has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the nation. "Surely we don't have people who are more criminal," Weaver said.
Commissioners Helmick and Westfall said Wednesday the cut-back options are very painful to the few employees the county has, some losing jobs and others losing benefits.
The commission has not allocated money to many worthwhile endeavors during the last year, focusing on a constitutional obligation to keep basic county services going.
WEDNESDAY ACTIONS
- The cost of August's special election totaled $18,139, with the County Clerk submitting a bill to the State of WV to cover the cost.
- Courthouse maintenance worker Eddie Harris rescinded his retirement request.
- Janet Heiney gave a report on the new wellness program coming to the county by the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department.
- There was a public test of voting machines used for early voting which starts on October 13.
- Danielle Stevens reported on the status of several grants.
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