Clinton County Fiscal Court narrowly approved first reading of the 2015-16 fiscal year budget, narrowly approved paying claims and bills and have apparently rejected the idea of a transient tax ordinance without a vote actually being taken. Those were some of the items of business taken up during the court’s regular meeting last Thursday evening, May 21 with all court members present.

Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong opened the meeting by asking those present to remember Magistrate Johnny Russell and a family member of Magistrate Ricky Craig in prayers due to illness those individuals are going through.

When regular business began, the court approved the monthly treasurer’s report and fund transfers, but on the paying of claims and bills, there was a split vote. Some magistrates apparently objected to a few of the bills included which pertained to work on a county maintenance building being constructed, apparently feeling those bills shouldn’t be paid until the building is complete and comes under the $20,000 amount in which a county has to advertise if it goes over. Also, Magistrate Ricky Craig abstained on one item of the claims, which pertained to a family member.

When a motion was made to pay the claims and bills, Magistrates Russell, Hershell Key and Terry Buster voted in favor while Magistrates Craig, Mickey Riddle and Patty Guinn voted no, prompting Judge Armstrong to break the tie with a yes vote.

It was later noted that the claims and bills included the annual allotment from the county for the recreational park.

The court then unanimously voted to re-new the contract with County Treasurer Dallas Sidwell for another four-year term, effective July 1, at a salary of $39,830, the same as it has been the past eight years. He was administered the oath of office by Judge Armstrong following the court’s approval.

The next issue taken up by the court, first reading of the upcoming fiscal year budget, also resulted in a complete 50/50 split among magistrates with the judge/executive again having to break the tie.

Some magistrates immediately questioned, and were opposed to, some of the apparent pay raises for some employees and departments included in the 2015-16 budget.

Magistrate Buster also noted he would like to see emergency services employees get raises, noting the important of the EMS and ambulance service to the county.

Judge Armstrong said that if revenues from the Occupational License Fee holds up, the county could be able to give all county employees cost-of-living increases across the board.

Magistrate Craig apparently took issue with some individual pay hikes, including the road foreman’s proposed salary compared to the past year and others, saying you couldn’t give some people $6,000 raises, or raises to administrative assistants without giving everyone an increase.

County Treasurer Sidwell told the court this budget was “just a plan” and could be changed or amended throughout the fiscal year.

The total budget is proposed at $4,768,214.96. By law, a budget has to be approved by the Department of Local Government and in place by June 30.

Following some further discussion, a motion was made by Magistrate Buster, seconded by Magistrate Key, resulted in a 3-3 tie with Magistrate Russell also voting in favor of first reading and Magistrates Craig, Guinn and Riddle voting no. Again, Judge Armstrong broke the tie with a yes vote.

Second and final reading of the budget is expected to be held next month.

Follow the budget vote, the court voted unanimously to approve a standing order to allow certain bills which have to be paid by certain dates, to be paid prior to fiscal court approval, such as postage, payment on grant projects, and so forth.

After voting 6-0 to advertise for road materials, the court also approved the low bid on road salt.

Judge Armstrong noted the county could get as much as 300 tons of salt for the next winter season, if necessary and the cost was a little bit cheaper than the past year. The salt is obtained from the company on an as-needed basis and it was noted around 80 tons of salt is left over from last year.

The court also approved the annual County Road Aid Cooperative agreement and related resolution for funding from the Department of Transportation and an inter-local agreement with the Workforce Investment Agency.

Judge Armstrong told the court he had been approached by some residents on Smith Creek Drive, who has a special needs child, about possibly putting up speed bumps on the road to cut down on speeding traffic in that area.

County Attorney Michael Rains confirmed to the court that the state did not allow the county to put in speed bumps on a county road, thus the court discussed some other options, such as putting up signs, reducing the speed limit on the road and other options.

County Road Foreman Michael Craig suggested adding rumble strips may be an option, which Rains felt would likely be legal. The county attorney will research options and report back to the court on which steps to take.

The court then voted, on two separate votes, to hire three additional persons on the road department as replacements for those who had either quit or resigned. The first motion was to hire Shorty Myers and Willie Ferrill. The second motion was to hire Johnny A. Jones, all at a starting rate of $8.50 per hour for the first 60-day trial period, and an increase thereafter. Both motions passed by unanimous vote.

The final item of business on the agenda was the proposed transient fee, or the way it was listed on the ordinance as a “Tourist and Convention Commission” ordinance, amended from an original type ordinance adopted in 2007.

Administrative Assistant Penny Jo Stearns, who has been working on putting together information for such an ordinance and forming a tourism board, addressed the court once again about the issue, reading a list of possible benefits such a transient fee would provide for the county, not only in tourism but possible business and industry as well.

Stearns said a seven-member board had been formed and read a list of names on the board, but noted it couldn’t function without revenues received from a transient tax.

The fee would include only lodging establishments such as hotels, motels and cabin rentals and all lodging establishments that rent less than 30-days at a time. It would not include restaurants or any other eating establishments. The fee would be three percent of each dollar, i.e., $3 per $100 in lodging costs.

There was little discussion on the issue before Magistrate Key made a motion to approve the “Tourist and Convention Commission” ordinance on first reading. However, the motion did not receive a second and died due to a lack thereof.

It isn’t known as this time if the issue will be brought back up or what the status of the board that has been chosen will be.

The court held another special call meeting Tuesday morning of this week and information on that meeting can be found elsewhere in this week’s edition.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for June 18 at 5 p.m. at the courthouse and is open to the general public.

Fiscal court holds call meeting Tuesday morning

Clinton County Fiscal Court held another early morning call meeting Tuesday morning, May 26 with five of six members present.

The first item of business was a bill that had been left off of the claims and bills at last week’s regular meeting, a payment of $8,279.00 to Logan’s Heating and Cooling for a unit replacement in the County Clerk’s office.

There was some questions on the bill, as Magistrate Ricky Craig questioned the bid process, saying he was unaware that proposals for the work had been taken. Magistrate Mickey Riddle also asked about a component in the bid, a line set, which was not included in the bid.

Craig said he felt that since the proposals were close, a local company, two of which apparently made proposals, should have been given consideration since they pay local occupational taxes and the proposals were not that much different in price.

A motion to pay the Logan Heating and Cooling bill was made by Magistrate Johnny Russell and passed by a 3-2 vote with Magistrates Terry Buster and Hershell Key voting yes and Magistrates Craig and Riddle voting no. Magistrate Patty Guinn was absent for the meeting.

The court then dealt with making fifty percent payment toward the pool heating unit at the Wellness Center to Sun Pools of $92,790 for the Lochinvar boiler system. The motion to pay that was made by Magistrate Russell and passed 4-1 with Craig voting no.

Following the vote, an exchange ensued between Magistrate Riddle and some of the Wellness Center board members in attendance.

Riddle alleged that Haddix Gas and Electric, who had supplied propane for the Wellness Center before the new system was installed a few months ago, never received full payment and had to settle for less than what was agreed to be paid, inferring it was the Wellness Center’s board responsibility to pay the debt.

Roger Barber, a representative with the Wellness Center, said that a local couple had offered to pay off the propane bill earlier but Haddix had rejected the offer and compounded the interest owed on the debt. He further noted it was the contractors who did the work on the facility that had billed the county, not the Wellness Center board.

At one point Riddle said he wasn’t against the Wellness Center and noted its importance, but said he was not for giving money toward the facility and was against the way the board had done business.

Wellness Center board member Jesse Stockton then noted that the latest work, now being done on the pool heating system, was a loan that is being paid back.

Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong also said he had talked to (Weldon) Haddix himself and he hadn’t indicated to him that he (Haddix) was upset about the final pay-off agreement reached on the propane bill.

The judge then announced that the county has received a $135,000 recycling grant, in the form of a 75/25 match with the county’s share to be the building and labor. (More details on the grant will be published in a separate article next week.)

Finally, the court approved five fund transfers prior to adjourning the special meeting, with its regular meeting being scheduled for June 18 at 5 p.m.