Clinton County Fiscal Court held a brief 10-minute special meeting Tuesday morning with all members on hand and three items of official business on the agenda.

Newly appointed 3rd District Magistrate Larry Hatfield was officially sworn in by Judge/Executive Lyle Huff. Hatfield was appointed by Gov. Steve Behear to fill the vacancy left by Willard Johnson who resigned April 10, but was in attendance at the meeting. (See separate article beginning on page 1.)

Judge Huff also reminded court members of the upcoming National Day of Prayer that will be commemmorated this Thursday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. on the courthouse lawn. The 61st annual event will locally recognize city and county officials and emergency services personnel.

With little discussion, the court–on a motion by magistrate Phillip Parrigin–unanimously approved first reading of the proposed 2012-13 fiscal year county budget.

Magistrate Ricky Craig said he would like to state in the minutes that the budget is a “plan” only. Magistrate Mickey Riddle also noted that just because something was listed as an expenditure didn’t mean the funds would have to be expended if the money wasn’t there.

Judge Huff also noted that “everything (in the budget) is subject to revenues being available.”

The county budget, as proposed, is over $4.6 million. However, this is under the current 2011-12 fiscal year budget, according to County Treasurer Dallas Sidwell. The treasurer noted that about all appropriation categories were slightly less than the current year, but especially the areas of state and federal grant estimated receipts.

The road fund is the single highest budgeted appropriation at over $1.1 million. However, the road fund is a separate account and cannot be used for any other purpose except road maintenance.

The general fund is $926,000; jail fund, $586,000; road fund, $1,151,000; LGEA, $203,000; DES, $49,000; ambulance fund, $952,000; forestry, $1,800; occupational tax, $101,000; 911, $340,000; and Homeland Security, $6,000. (All of the aforementioned totals are rounded off to the nearest thousand.)

The total $4,663,747 budget will now go to the Department of Local Government prior to second reading and final approval by the court and a summary will be published in a later issue of the Clinton County News.

The court also approved a state maintenance agreement with the Department of Transportation to do maintenance only work on Grider Rd.-Smith Lane. The area, which will not be taken into the county road system, is less than a tenth of a mile and connects to US 127.

Magistrate Charlotte Bernard asked if there could be other such roads in the county, but Judge Huff said it would only be if the state recommended them to be taken in by the state system.

A motion was made by magistrate Parrigin to accept the agreement to do maintenance only, with the motion passing 6-0, although Magistrate Riddle said he was somewhat opposed to maintaining those type of areas without taking them into the county road system.

Judge Huff then asked each magistrate to list, by roads which are in the worst condition in each of their districts, for possible FLEX funding for repairs. The county has $161,000 in such funds to help make repairs to the county roads which are in most need of work.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for Thursday, May 17 at 4 p.m. and is open to the general public.

Larry Hatfield was sworn in Tuesday morning during a special call meeting by Judge/Executive Lyle Huff.