Fayette County’s $76 million budget for FY 2014 was adopted June 27. The budget included $44 million in the General Fund, $14.7 million in the Water System Fund and $15.4 million in Special Revenue Funds and will come with no anticipated increase in property taxes.
That compares with last year’s budget total of $80.85 million.
The FY 2014 General Fund totaling $43,966,938 includes budget areas such as $18.3 million for public safety, $8.3 million for general government, $5.5 million for public works and $4.8 million for judicial system expenditures. The $14.7 million Water System Fund is funded by the water system’s users.
County Administrator Steve Rapson said the balanced budget eliminates deficit budgeting, requires no use of fund balance, assumes no property tax increase and does not impact service delivery.
The budget also includes a two-percent, one-time salary increase to county employees, said Rapson.
Special Revenue Funds include a number of service areas such as fire services at $8.2 million, the E-911 system at $2.9 million and EMS services at $3.3 million.
Perhaps the most publicized budget area dealt with cost-cutting in the sheriff’s budget that resulted in the elimination of the Hawk 1 helicopter program. Shutting down the program will save the county approximately $200,000 a year that will be used to offset other training, along with maintenance of the $1.27 million computer system the sheriff’s office purchased two years ago.
Sheriff Barry Babb recently noted that federal drug seizure funds have been decreasing. The seizure fund saw an influx of $2.6 million in 2010-2011 but that dropped off to $600,000 the following year and the current account balance is down to $750,000, Babb said.
