Official Says Number Incorrect

COMPTROLLER: IMPACT OF RAISES ON BUDGET OVERSTATED

By Scott F Davis

Posted: November 21, 2009 at 3:29 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County Comptroller Cheryl Bolinger said the impact of raises on the county’s 2010 budget was overstated during discussion at Tuesday’s Quorum Court’s Finance Committee meeting.

At least one justice of the peace who voted against the 2 percent raise approved by the committee spoke against spending more than $600,000 in additional money to pay for the raises.

Bolinger said Thursday the county expects to pay about $353,000 more in 2010 than it would have without the raises. She’s not sure where the incorrect number came from.

A 2 percent increase of the county’s 2009 budget for all personnel costs is nearly $600,000, but Bolinger explained that’s not an accurate estimate because many costs, such as insurance and retirement benefits, are included in the total.

Tom Lundstrum, R-Elm Springs, said he’s not sure where he heard the $655,000 estimated increase he mentioned at the meeting, but he was probably just repeating something he’d heard previously.

“It has been difficult to get accurate information,” Lundstrum said.

He said the relevant issue is not the precise dollar amount of the wage increase, but why the county is not more aggressively cutting the budget across the board to be prepared for a larger shortfall expected in 2011 and beyond..

“We have to accelerate our efforts to save money,” Lundstrum said.

All 13 justices of the peace attended Tuesday’s meeting when the budget passed 9-4, but the full Quorum Court will vote again next month before it’s official.

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