County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Thursday that is enough revenue available for a continuation budget and to give employee raises if the County Commission opts not to raise taxes.
He said if all the budget requests were approved, it was take a tax hike of 52.8 cents.
That includes a 28.5-cent increase requested by the schools for $24.2 million in proposed new spending as well as 12.9 cents for county general government, where the request is $10.9 million above available funds.
He said it would take a tax increase of 11.4 cents to issue $100 million in bonds for unspecified projects. The county is considering the large-ticket item of tearing down the outmoded jail on Walnut Street, building a smaller jail downtown on Cherry Street, and building an addition at the workhouse at Silverdale.
The current budget is $665.3 million. The requests total $712 million.
The Sheriff's Office is asking for 34 new positions, including three new School Resource Officers, two court officers and three in special operations. Sheriff Jim Hammond also is requesting 40 vehicles.
The planned county employee pay increase is 2.5 percent. Lower-paid workers would get a minimum of $1,250, which would make their increase amount higher.
The county is facing an increase in health insurance costs of $5.2 million.
The county expects to spend almost $12 million at the jail and over $14 million at the workhouse in the upcoming fiscal year.
Officials said the county fund balance is now at about $90 million. At one point, it was around $110 million.
Every new penny on the tax rate brings in about $850,000.
The county is projecting $3.7 million in additional property tax revenue from growth.
The budget moves the $900,000 for discretionary funds for the nine commissioners from the operations side to capital outlay. County Mayor Coppinger last year sought to cut that item, but the majority of the commission opted to keep the $100,000 each.
The assessor is asking for an increase of $436,000 and the county clerk a rise of $118,000. The criminal court clerk is seeking an increase of $406,000. The district attorney is asking for a new full-time employee and seeking an increase of $135,000. The election office, with three upcoming elections is asking a rise of $327,000. The county attorney is asking for a new employee and a budget rise of $109,000. The Health Department is asking for three new employees.
The Juvenile Court clerk budget from Gary Behler of $2.5 million has only a $12,000 increase.
Ross's Landing Park costs are set to rise $112,000 since the Riverwalk is being extended to St. Elmo.
In supported agencies, increase requests included $30,000 for agriculture and $15,000 each for the Planning Commission and Air Pollution Control.
County budget hearings will begin next Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the County Courthouse.
County Mayor Coppinger is set to present his recommendations to the commission on June 8.