A financial advisor presented members of the Montgomery County Council with a review of the county’s strategic plan.
The council heard Tuesday from Jeff Peters that the county was on target to have a positive cash balance at the end of 2023 but projections of expenses outdistancing income is forecasted.
Last year’s financial forecast had predicted the county to have an increase of 2% growth in the public safety income tax, however, the increase will be closer to 8%.
“We will have more earned income tax in our account this year,” Peters said. “The extra funds will help if we are hit with a recession.”
Peters explained available data used in his reports are from 2021 and 2022. Projections are estimated using information available from the state.
The presentation included projections for available operating cash for expenditures, debt funding and an analysis of current and future projects including how the county could fund the projects.
Montgomery County Clerk Karyn Douglas requested and was approved for an additional position in her office. The position was previously funded, but to trim her budget, she had deleted the position in this year’s budget. Now, with the likelihood that Douglas will be moving to the City Building in 2024 since she is a candidate for the city clerk-treasurer position, she told the council she needed the position back to train and prepare someone to work in the clerk’s office.
Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham told the council he was prepared to offer a school resource officer position to a candidate on Tuesday. The sheriff reported the candidate he was going to hire called Monday to take his name out of consideration. Needham said he will start the search over. The position is with North Montgomery schools which would make a total of eight school resource officers serving in the county.
Chief Probation Officer Andria Geigle requested additional appropriations for several accounts. The funds are coming from the court referral program which is being discontinued. Geigle explained with a recent mandate from the state in the program the county will be better served to use more professional mental health care providers. The funds will allow the county to transition to the professionals and away from the court referral program.
The request was approved.
The council approved recommendations from the Employee Retention and Payroll System Committee concerning five issues. A request to fund a deputy assessor position in the auditor’s office was approved since it was already in the 2023 budget.
One request for additional income from the courts and three requests from the treasurer’s office were denied.
The committee did recommend a study be done concerning current county employee compensation.
Superior Court Judge Heather Barajas spoke to the council stating she felt her employees deserved the 2% raise other county employees received at the beginning of 2o23. The ERPS committee decided the $5,000 pay raise would replace the 2% raise. Barajas claimed it was unfair to not give the 2% raise to court employees above their $5,000 pay raise.
Several other elected officials spoke to the council saying the compensation from other counties is making it difficult to retain workers.
The council’s next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 9 at the government center.
