Franklin County Council began its 2023 budget workshop on Aug. 15 looking to cut $733,000 from the amounts requested by department heads.

August marks the budget season in Indiana as municipalities across the state work to draft balanced budgets for the year ahead. The process began earlier in the summer when department heads submitted a budget request for the coming year. Those requests are then compiled with the rest of the departments' budgets, as well as historical data showing the budget for the current year, how much of that budget was spent in the first six months of the year, as well as budgeted and actual expenditures for the previous year. 

In Franklin County, that data is combed through by county council and reviewed with department heads on the first day of the budget workshop, where department heads have the opportunity to present their budget and council can ask questions about any changes. Typically council will spend the next two days looking for ways to get the money requested to match the expected revenue, or at least come as close as possible. 

Prior to cuts, the county's financial consultant Reedy Financial Group projects the county will bring in $7.8 million of revenue with $10.8 million in expenditures. Reedy projects that budget would spend down $2.5 million in cash while $500,000 goes unspent, leaving the general fund with a cash balance of $4.8 million at the end of 2023. Reedy suggests council cut $733,000 from that budget.

The 2023 budget workshop kicked off with a review of the county park. Big raises were requested for park staff with park superintendent Ted Hensley requesting significant raises for himself and his assistant, noting pay for all county employees had fallen below average after being passed over for pay raises in the past.

“We're kind of at the bottom of the barrel,” said Hensley.

Hensley's assistant has requested a raise to $22 per hour, from the current $16.80, or he will leave the department. In addition to a 30 percent increase to the superintendent's assistant position, Hensley requested a 21 percent increase to his own pay. Pay increases for part-time help and guards were requested as well.

Council member Brian Patterson asked if the parks department had any update from the request he had made at this time last year concerning use of an online booking tool to allow visitors easier access to reserve and pay for campsites at the park. Hensley replied current visitors prefer to call in reservations and pay in person. Patterson replied he had talked to people who would prefer to be able to make reservations online, including one who was unable to make contact over the phone.

Hensley replied having a website will cause problems with campsites being double-booked, Patterson explained how campground staff would need to cross-reference the online booking tool when scheduling.

“There's revenue out there that can potentially be made, but we're just refusing to do it because we can't work a computer?” stated Patterson. “If you get 10 percent more campsites rented out...”

Hensley replied the campground has been sold out some weekends, the campground is seeing fewer primitive campers, but recreational vehicles have booked out the facility on holiday weekends.

“You just came in asking for a 30 percent raise for one guy and 20 percent for the other and just want us to pay that, but on your end, I don't see anything growing, I don't see you trying to do things different to generate more revenue for the taxpayers,” said Patterson.

Council member Glen Bischoff stated, “I don't think we have an issue with the revenue that he brings in, you tell me what the cost is going to be for the website and to maintain it. Is that going to be worth the few people that might have easy accessibility to it?”

“I don't know, the problem is that nobody will answer that question because we're not looking into it,” replied Patterson.

“Well then find out how much it is and let us know,” suggested Bischoff.

“I've been asking for two years,” replied Patterson. “Not looking into it is not the right answer, if we look into it and they come back and say 'Brian, it's just too much money, we've done our projections, it's not going to work,' that's a good answer, that's fine.”

Park board member Dennis Kolb spoke in favor of the need to move to online scheduling and credit card processing at the campground in the next few years.

Council's critical review of the park budget put the meeting 30 minutes behind schedule, which was exacerbated by the next half hour being double-scheduled with the highway department set to present at the same time as the area plan, surveyor and 4-H extension offices. But before the the highway department could present, county commissioners budget was reviewed, which funds a variety of county functions.

Cuts were found in the commissioners' budget with office supplies slashed from $9,000 to $4,000 and the $20,000 budgeted for neglected/nuisance property clean up was cut completely. Patterson inquired if commissioners were no longer planning to cleanup the nuisance properties; commissioner Tom Wilson replied they had rescinded the ordinance detailing how the county would clean up those properties and going back to a fine-based penalty. Patterson asked if that's what they had done before, Wilson replied in the affirmative.

Council questioned some big item's in the commissioners' budget including courthouse equipment and transfer station scales. Wilson replied the courthouse boilers and transfer station scales have both failed state inspections and are in need of replacement.

The highway department followed, the budget of which has been significantly impacted by the effects of inflation on raw material costs. Highway department superintendent Larry Smith has watched culvert prices double and bituminous asphalt raise 30 percent. Fuel bids are reviewed in December for the following year with commissioners taking flat-rate fuel price contracts the past few years. While the county has been shielded from much of the inflation at the pump this year, a significant increase is expected for 2023.

Budgets for the area plan office and 4-H extension were brief. Franklin County surveyor Rob Seig made requests for more part-time help, a replacement copier and GPS equipment.

Franklin County Sheriff Peter Cates followed, presenting budgets for the sheriff's office, jail and dispatch. The big ask from Cates is to hire four new jailers and three new dispatchers. The new positions would give the jail and dispatch departments sufficient staffing if plans to move the dispatch center offsite come to fruition. 

Cates budgeted for increases to the various service and maintenance contracts, as well as vehicle maintenance and fuel costs. Patterson inquired if Cates has plans for any body cameras in the 2023 budget. Cates replied he is planning to apply for a grant program that opens up in January 2023. Currently every deputy has a shoulder-mounted microphone and a vehicle-mounted camera.

Franklin County Circuit Court Judge J. Steven Cox finished the morning session with a review of the courthouse salaries, including one probation officer's state-mandated five percent raise after earning a master's degree. Cox advised the court's appeal and pauper attorney lines are currently over-funded, noting a significant decline in caseload from the past. 

At the conclusion of Cox's budget presentation, council broke for lunch.