Commissioners give final nod on budget

Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Tammy Helm/Tribune photo Terry Sercer, CPA with Diehl, Banwart, Bolton of Fort Scott, listens as Bourbon County Commission Chair Barbara Albright discusses the challenge of the 2017 budget. Commissioners adopted the budget with a 2.955 mill increase. Pictured in the background are Jeff Fischer, who will become the second district commissioner in January, and Register of Deeds Lora Holdridge.

The 2017 budget, which includes a 2.955 mill increase, was adopted by the Bourbon County Commissioners Tuesday.

While no members of the public attended the public hearing, some elected officials were at the meeting -- Treasurer Rhonda Dunn, Register of Deeds Lora Holdridge and County Counselor Justin Meeks.

Also attending were Jeff Fischer, who will become the second district commissioner in January, and Nick Ruhl, who is running against incumbent Harold Coleman for the third district commissioner seat.

Terry Sercer, CPA with Diehl, Banwart, Bolton of Fort Scott, has assisted the county with the budget preparation. He provided the commissioners with detailed information from the budget as it was published.

"Commissioners, you know what we've been through in the last few months," Sercer said. "We went through it and I don't think there was any fund, any department that was outside our gaze," Sercer said.

He said the mill levy increase can be attributed to two factors -- a 9-percent -- about mill and a half -- increase for health insurance and a statewide tax lid that will be effective Jan. 1.

Of the 2.955 mill increase, about 1.5 of that will be used to build up a $128,000 reserve. The reserve could be used in 2018 if the health insurance takes another 9-percent hike, Sercer said.

"That's, in essence, what this budget ends up being," Sercer said. "It covers the health insurance for 9 percent and gives us some flexibility next year if we have a 9 percent increase again, or if something else happens like the air conditioning in the courthouse dies and we have to put $50,000 into that.

"Nobody likes it, as you know, you don't have a raise for the employees, but you are paying 9 percent more for insurance for them."

First District Commissioner Lynne Oharah said paying more for employee insurance premiums is about the same as a 2-percent pay increase. Albright said they had heard the employees prefer the county pay the additional amount for health insurance premiums.