When the dust had settled Monday

afternoon after nearly eight hours of budget hearings, Fayette County's

constitutional officers learned just how tight this year's county budget

is being stretched.

The Fayette County Commission

heard pleas from the Clerk of Court and the Sheriff's Department about

new personnel needs, but both got the same response from the board: No.

This year's $44.4 million budget

is actually $200,000 less than last year's budget, said Commission Chairman

Greg Dunn.

"We're still providing

the same services, and not cutting any positions" he said.

The total budget, including

all funds, is $66.06 million compared to last year's $67.1, which will

allow the board to actually drop the millage rate slightly.

Finance Director Mark Pulliam

is going to recommend the incorporated millage rate be rolled back from

7.116 to 6.786, while unincorporated residents would see the rate drop

from 6.198 to 5.908. Everyone's fire rate would fall from 3.58 to 3.45.

While the news is good for

taxpayers, Fayette's department heads are going to have to make do with

less this year.

The only department that saw

an increase in its budget was the Sheriff's Department, which increased

a little over 10 percent to just over $12 million.

Superior Court Clerk Sheila

Studdard wanted to add two new court clerk positions in the state court

and nine new positions in superior court, but was only granted a temporary

worker.

"Our pledge is to not

add any new positions this year," said Commissioner A.G. VanLandingham.

Studdard said her office has

been overwhelmed with real estate documents and still had 17 boxes of

documents to enter into the computer system.

The commissioners told Studdard

she could use an employee from the county's administration office for

up to six months to get the data entered.

Studdard said the new courtroom

floor plan now ensures that a clerk must be available on two floors of

the building while court is going on, and she also needed additional personnel

to maintain the integrity of the vault where the documents are stored.

Commissioner Linda Wells told

Studdard when she entered the hearing the board would not support any

new personnel requests, but Studdard wanted to be heard.

"This is my only opportunity,

and I feel like I owe it to my people," she said.

Studdard did manage to squeeze

a little more overtime for her budget. The Finance Department had recommended

$1,500 for overtime in the state clerk's office, but the board bumped

it up to $3,000. Studdard also got slightly more money in the superior

court office, with the budget increased from $9,500 to $10,000.

After Studdard got grilled

for more than an hour, Sheriff Randall Johnson and staff from his department

spent more than two hours justifying their budget requests.

Representatives from the different

divisions of the departments, including the jail and patrol divisions

were looking for 37 additional personnel this year. But just like Studdard's

request, it was turned down.

Johnson was able to take care

of a long-term employee, though. The department has recently closed down

its kitchen and is letting a private company operate the business. The

department decided to outsource the business when three cooks quit.

But the remaining employee

is an 18-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department and Johnson wanted to

keep her in his department.

"This is real important

to us," he said.

Johnson had suggested making

her housekeeping supervisor to monitor the cleaning in the administration

buildings.

But since this was a new position,

the board could not accept the recommendation.

"I believe in helping

our longtime employees, but that would violate our policy of no new positions

this year," said Commissioner VanLandingham.

Dunn had suggested seeing if

the worker could fill one of the open positions already available in other

county departments.

"I want her to stay in

our department. She's a good worker and we can trust her around classified

information," Johnson said.

In the end, the department

decided to reclassify an open deputy position as an administrative position

to allow the worker to remain in the department.

"I just want you to realize

that you're losing this position," Dunn said.

The board also cut many of

the travel and conference-related costs for all departments this year.

In another move, the board told Solicitor General Steve Harris that he

would no longer be able to drive a county car to and from work.

Harris had paid taxes on the

vehicle, and said he needed it to go to crime scenes and transport witnesses

to court.

The board had set a policy

in the late 90s that county vehicles could only be used by people in public

safety.

Harris said he would gladly

give back the car to the county, but said his department needed to use

it for witness transport.

"I don't think there's

any taxicab companies around here," he said.

The board agreed to allow the

department to keep the vehicle.

Included in this year's budget

is a 2.4 percent cost of living adjustment for all county employees.

A public hearing on the entire

budget is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the County Administrative Complex

at Stonewall Avenue.

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