Greene County budget passed, but could be amended by new commissioners next year
WAYNESBURG – The Greene County commissioners unanimously passed their 2020 budget Thursday morning, although changes to the spending could be on the horizon when a new board takes office next month.
The current board Chairman Blair Zimmerman and Commissioners Archie Trader and Dave Coder passed the $19.96 million general budget without a property tax increase for the 12th straight year.
The budget keeps the property tax millage rate for 2020 at 7.535 mills, which includes the 6.77 mills for the general fund, 0.695 of a mill for debt service and 0.07 of a mill for the library fund.
But Trader, a Republican, and Coder, a Democrat, both lost re-election to their seats this year and will be replaced by Republicans Mike Belding and Betsy Rohanna McClure. Zimmerman, a Democrat who has led the board for the past four years, will become the minority member.
Reached by phone after the meeting, Rohanna McClure said reopening the budget and making changes to it is a possibility after she and Belding take office Jan. 6.
“I’m sure the budget will be looked at,” she said. “I know we have the opportunity to reopen it, and I think that’s something we’ll look into when we take office.”
The general fund budget increased 3.8% over this year’s spending plan of $19.238 million. A roughly $60,000 revenue deficit will be filled by taking that amount from the county’s $2 million reserve fund.
But the biggest change was to the other county spending programs. There was a large increase for Children and Youth Services, from $863,901 this year to about $1.1 million in 2020, which county officials attributed to a need for more services.
Scott Kelley, the county’s chief financial officer who prepared the budget, said the county will receive an additional $6 million from the state to pay for the total CYS budget of $7 million.
Solicitor Cheryl Cowen added that there are huge demands on that department due to new statewide reporting standards and the ongoing drug addiction problem in the county.
“We’re trying to put all of these pieces together to make it whole,” Cowen said. “I don’t know if it’s going to work, but we’re going to try. The drug problem has devastated a lot of families.”
The county also budgeted about $6 million in Act 13 natural gas impact fee money, which Zimmerman said will be used for judicial services, social services and public safety. He pointed to annual grants sent to each volunteer fire department in the county, along with $50,000 given to each of the five school districts the past three years to improve security.
“I think we’ve helped a lot of communities and organizations with (Act 13) money,” Zimmerman said.
The budget will also require a tax anticipation loan of $4.5 million. Trader said the county will only use the amount it needs while waiting for property tax payments to be made in the spring.
“It’s like a line of credit,” Trader said. “You’re not paying for money you don’t take out.”
While the meeting was the last one for Trader and Coder, there were also several other retirements and resignations accepted during a subsequent salary board meeting after the budget vote.
Greene County Economic Development Director Robbie Matesic will retire Jan. 6, while two other employees in that office, Mary Jane Kent and Mimi Ritenour, will retire at the end of this month. Rebecca Harris is leaving her role as human resources director, and Charlotte “Cookie” Popielarcheck is leaving her position as assistant chief clerk to the commissioners. Richard Hopkins is retiring from his job as fleet manager, and Gene Lee is doing the same from his position in weights and measures.