Newport
The budget will be presented at a public hearing on June 12 before going to the county delegation of state representatives for approval before the end of the month.
County Manager Derek Ferland said the spending plan effectively funds the needs of the county services while being sensitive to the tax impact but also maintains fiscal stability and plans for the future to improve county facilities.
“This budget preserves the stability the county has enjoyed the last 10 years,” Ferland said. “We are not going to squander that good financial position but instead will use it to take a look ahead at our facilities.”
One piece of that is a proposed $1 million expenditure in the Sullivan County Health Care (nursing home) budget. Ferland said the money, which will come from fund balance, will pay for a pre-construction design for proposed major renovations to the Stearns building for nursing home patients and the Sanders building, which houses administrative offices. Sanders was constructed in 1931 and Stearns in 1970. The project could be submitted next year for construction, Ferland said.
The primary improvement in the Stearns building would be redesigning the floor plan to have one bathroom with a shower for every two rooms instead of for every four rooms, Ferland said.
Salary increases under last year’s approved collective bargaining agreements for nursing home and department of corrections unions contributed to part of the increase for the coming year, Ferland said.
Capital spending also is proposed to increase $125,000 to $150,000 for the Department of Corrections to cover several projects.
“This year we are programming funding for the first phase of jail cell lock system in our maximum security unit for $90,000,” Ferland said. “We also have $30,000 to design an interior renovation of the jail to provide additional space for medical observation units.”
The third project is $30,000 to retrofit steam pipes that feed the laundry operation.
Offsetting the increases were reductions in capital spending for the Unity complex and the transfer from fund balance to the capital reserves as well as other areas.
Ferland said the county has eliminated the “structural deficit” in capital spending by being able to build about $600,000 into the budget instead of taking the money from fund balance each year. He further stated that prudent budgeting and finding savings in other areas means that the capital spending total does not go straight to the amount to be raised by taxes.
As an example, he said they budgeted less for personnel costs for corrections because high turnover means there is not full staffing year round and there is “lag time,” before a new employee is hired.
The budget increase’s projected tax impact for the county’s 15 municipalities is 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or $13.50 on a home valued at $150,000.
Ferland said the tax impact assumes no increase in the total assessed valuation of county properties, which he does not see as likely.
“It seems like it has been a good year for valuation (increase),” Ferland said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
