Stephens Co. Approves FY 17 Budget

Stephens County Commissioners approve the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the budget that takes effect on Friday.

County Commission Chair Dennis Bell said he feels good about the budget that commissioners finally approved.

“They have done an excellent job putting this thing together,” said Bell. “Teamwork. That is what it is all about is teamwork. We have a great team that is working together. It is not just that you go off site for two days and talk with each other. You go line item by line item and see what the best is you can do for the citizens, the taxpayers of the county.”

The FY 17 budget approved by commissioners Tuesday did include a pay raise for Stephens County employees.

Under the budget, employees who make $15 or less an hour receive a seven percent pay raise, employees who make between $15 and $20 an hour get a five percent pay raise, and employees who make more than $20 an hour will receive a two percent pay raise.

Bell said he is pleased that the county could give those raises to help employees cover the rising cost of health insurance premiums.

“Our employees work hard out here in the county and I wish we could have done more,” said Bell. “With the insurance hitting us like it did, we were able to give them two choices for insurance and then we were able to do the raise and it help offset some. Most of them I believe will be okay with that.”

The FY 17 budget calls for the millage rate to remain the same at 13.41 mills.

Bell said that considering the uncertainty in the economy and the unknown impact of changing Federal labor laws regarding overtime on the county’s budget, keeping the millage rate the same was the best course of action.

“We did not want to come in and lower millage rate and then turn around by federal law and have to raise salaries and turn around and raise the millage rate next year,” said Bell.

Bell said he appreciates all of the effort that Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers and county staff put in to getting the FY 17 budget ready.

The total Fiscal Year 2017 general fund budget is about $13.6 million.

Prior to the commission’s vote on the FY 17 budget, a second public hearing was held, but nobody commented on the budget.