County Officials Discuss Budget, Levy for New Fiscal Year

(COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATOR JEFF WORKMAN SPEAKING AT TUESDAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING)

Effingham County officials are in the midst of planning for the next fiscal year. A special meeting of the county board's Tax and Finance Committee was held Tuesday to discuss requests for funding and how to fund employee costs.

Committee Chairman Norbert Soltwedel said his goal was to keep any increase in spending below 5% to avoid a Truth in Taxation hearing. That means keeping any new spending below $300,000.

Committee members heard from Mike Tate of the County's 377 Mental Health Board, who sought an increase in funding to serve special education graduates. A goal would be housing for those individuals, which would take that expense off their parents.

Also addressing the committee was Effingham County Health Department Administrator Jeff Workman, who sought an increase in funding from the current $192,000 to $30,000. Workman's chief goal was sufficient funding to provide competitive wages for Health Department employees.

Committee members also discussed a proposal advanced by County Board Chairman Josh Douthit to provide a one-time HSA payment of $1,650 to each employee and up to $1,000/employee to help with health insurance premiums. There are 169 county employees.

If the premium increase was less than $1,000/employee, the amount of the premium would be paid, not the $1,000 amount.

There was also discussion of increases in Social Security, Medicare and other incentives.

This was a first step, but the matter will be revisited at the regular Tax and Finance Committee meeting this Thursday. The budget will be placed on layover at the full board meeting on Monday, with final action coming at the November meeting to have it in place for the start of the new County fiscal year on December 1.