Rudimentary

beginnings of what eventually will become a five-year capital improvement

program for Fayette County are included in this year's proposed county

budget.

Commissioners

voted last week to include a separate one-year capital improvement element

in the fiscal 2002 budget, providing the framework for more long-range

planning.

"This

is something some of us have been wanting all along," said commission

Chairman Greg Dunn during a series of workshops on the budget.

Commissioners

tentatively approved all of the departmental budgets for 2002, a total

of just over $65 million, with plans to vote on final adoption of the

budget following a public hearing Thursday at 7 p.m. at the County Administrative

Complex.

Now that they

have agreed to the concept, Dunn said commissioners later will get together

in an intense planning retreat to come up with five-year priorities for

capital improvements, so that funding can be routinely handled in the

budget with "no surprises."

"Pulling

this out gives a clear picture of what it takes to staff and run a department,"

said finance director Mark Pullium. New facilities and equipment require

additional staff and supplies, he said, and with a CIP, the county will

be able to plan for those eventualities with greater accuracy.

"The foundation

has been laid," said County Administrator Chris Cofty.

Among items

that will be included in such a plan will be buildings, vehicles and heavy

equipment, recreational facilities like ball fields and parks, technology

upgrades, computer equipment, furniture and the professional services

needed to plan and development those kinds of improvements.

Included in

the CIP for 2002 will be numerous items that ordinarily would have been

included in various county departments' maintenance and operations budgets,

plus money earmarked for a future new county office complex.

The total CIP

for 2002 is $1.84 million, but officials say it will grow as long-range

planning improves.

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