MANSFIELD, Ohio – The Richland County Board of Commissioners addressed a packed house during a public hearing regarding the county’s budget on Thursday. Representatives from various Richland County agencies filled the seats and stood along the walls as the budget shortfalls were discussed.
Commissioner Tim Wert opened the meeting by saying that after a thorough review of the outlook for monies for next year and requests that have been submitted for the 2016 budget cycle, “We have come to the point of opinion that there will be a shortage in monies, and 3 percent raises will be a very difficult if not impossible situation to be able to work with.”
Commissioner Marilyn John noted that current year certification from the auditor’s office had been adjusted in lieu of the .25 percent tax increase to $29,350,390 which included a carryover of last year of $473,000.
“Our expenditures, the budget we went through at the beginning of the year, is $30,993,413,” added John. “That means we have more than $1.6 million in expenses more than revenues coming in. We definitely have some work to do to just to be able to make budget for 2015.”
“Going into 2016, the requests right now…are $4,363,600 over what the anticipated revenues are,” said John. “The estimated revenues for 2016 are $28,736,400, so there is a separation right now between the revenue numbers we are being given and the expectations out of the general fund of more than $4 million.”
John noted the cost-saving decisions were not easy and may not be popular, and she requested that attendees offer suggestions for ways to save $4 million.
Commissioners noted they did not feel the need to micro-manage budgets and that each department would know best what is necessary as well as what could it could do without for the time being.
Director of Job and Family Services Sharlene Neumann asked what department heads could look at in terms of documents regarding budgets, noting access to each department’s budget could allow one department to supplement another rather than money coming out of the general fund. “If we had a document all of us could look at and see each other’s budgets, or so forth, that would help,” she said.
She also asked how much of the $4.3 million figure was salary.
John replied, “If you look at the expenses for ’15 being $30,900,000 approximately, the total between salary, PERS, and Medicare come to $15,277,734.” She added that number did not include worker’s compensation or health insurance.
“Across the board for all county employees, all departments, even those that are not in the general fund, we pay over $11 million a year in health insurance premiums,” she added.
John also noted that a meeting scheduled later in the day would address an increase in health insurance premiums for the upcoming year.
One attendee expressed concern that the county may lose employees to the private sector.
John addressed that by noting that county employees actually pay less for health insurance than those in the private sector, and have other benefits.
“That has been stated…and there may be some that go,” said John. “But I don’t know that they are going to find a better picture in the private sector than what they find in the public.”
“We have come to the point of opinion that there will be a shortage in monies, and 3 percent raises will be a very difficult if not impossible situation to be able to work with,” said Richland County Commissioner Tim Wert.
