Sep 8, 2021 3 min read

Greene County commissioners approved various modifications to the current county budget during their Sept. 2 meeting.

Commissioner Mike Belding said the modifications are for the allocation of previously approved funds only, meaning there will be no change in the total amount budgeted in 2021.

The modifications include:

• Commissioners finance medical to individual department budgets totaling $2,383,044.03;
• Commissioners finance worker’s compensation to individual department budgets totaling $266,304.04;
• Reallocated budgeted dollars within the county’s victim witness program from miscellaneous service expenses to medical totaling $11,346 and worker’s compensation totaling $42;
• Reallocated budgeted dollars within the juvenile office department from miscellaneous service expenses to medical totaling $3,175 and worker’s compensation totaling $10:
• Reallocated budgeted dollars within the Rights and Service Act Department (RASA) from miscellaneous service expenses to medical totaling $6,506 and worker’s compensation totaling $32;
• The transfer of cost savings budgeted dollars from commissioners finance medical totaling $203,406.95 and retirement totaling $162,271 to commissioners finance miscellaneous service expense budget.

“We are required to pass the annual county budget before January 1 each year. However, we do not know all of the expense or rate of increases from the previous year when we pass the budget,” Belding said.

“We do not know what health insurance will cost or workman’s compensation insurance and in some cases, as occurred this year, we were still in union negotiations for pay and benefits for union employees.”

Commissioners also approved a $17,000 proposal from K. Turner Electrician Services for an ongoing lighting project at the county pickleball court.

The new lighting will extend available playing time at the court, which is located near the county museum.

“This project was initiated by local pickleball enthusiasts, and the costs will be split between the county, Iron Synergy and funds raised by pickleball players through sponsorships and a pickleball tournament,” Belding said.

“As the county continues to work through financial challenges, we appreciate the opportunity to partner with businesses, industry and public/private groups to share the costs of specific projects that are desirable, but may not be fiscally feasible,” he added. “This is a great example where individuals raised money, an industry partner contributed and the county picked up the remaining portion of funding required for a special project.

In other business, commissioners agreed to accept a one-year renewal quote of $10,769.86 with ESRI for GIS software. ESRI is an international supplier of geographic information system software, web GIS and geodatabase management applications.

Belding said this software is used in multiple county offices for the creation and maintenance of digital maps, and this is an annual renewal and budgeted line item for the county’s information technology department.

Commissioners also approved the Southern Computer Warehouse renewal for the county’s email security and archiving services for one year at $9,297. This service provides email security and archiving for county email systems. Belding said this is also an annual renewal and budgeted line item for the county’s IT department.