SCBC approves FY23 Budget

The Stephens County Board of Commissioners adopted the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget during its meeting on Tuesday.

The Fiscal Year 2023 Budget will leave the millage rate unchanged at 14.76 mills.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers proved a summary of the budget.

“In the general fund the millage rate remains the same 14.76 with the value of a mil projected at $676,500 which is an 8 percent increase in the digest,” she said.

Ayers noted that originally the commission had planned for a 2 percent pay increase for all employees; but added that they have now decided to increase that to 4 percent.

“This particular budget has a pay increase of 2 percent for all employees. I’ll stop right there because after we left the budget workshop, I went back to give you all some information on, I picked five ranges of employees with a 2 percent pay increase and a 24 percent increase in health insurance and that would have our employees working at a pay cut next year. Some of the pay cuts were anywhere from $3,700 a year to $1,500. We all know that we’re in a time where you don’t have to work for a pay cut. You can drive to another county; you can drive to work for another business. So, we went back offsite yesterday and spent most of the morning and walked away with an agreement to add 2 percent more. So, we will end up with 4 percent for all employees and covering 100 percent of the insurance increase,” she said.

Fiscal Year 2023 will start on July 1, 2022.