Newton County Commissioners Court met Tuesday morning for the 2025 Budget Workshop.
Budget Workshops are a way for the court to have discourse with each other as well as department heads concerning the budgeting process for the following year. These meetings help with the construction, adjustments and finalizations of the next year’s budget.
Judge Ronnie Cochran stated that line items increased from last year’s budget to include Prisoner Housing increasing $160,000, Health Insurance increased $96,000, Property Insurance increased $100,000, Building & Property Maintenance increased, and unemployment Insurance doubled per employee.
On the topic of Increasing Taxes:
Commissioners court moved forward on increasing taxes to what is known as a de minimus rate for the county, which will increase taxes “$30 per $100,000 home value” according to Judge Cochran. According to the court, taxes have not been increased in a few decades.
On the topic of Funding of the Nutrition Center:
The county has budgeted a total of $287,000 for funding the center. Saying that the county has “budgeted” $287,000 for the Nutrition Center does not take the details into full account. After much discussion, the County Auditor Sherry Moore stated that “There are multiple revenue sources including DETCOG, Department of Aging and others that help aid the county included in the $287,000” leaving only $90,000 for the county to cover. Judge Cochran stated that the City of Newton has agreed to pay $45,000 as well bringing the counties’ total expenditure amount for the Nutrition Center to $45,000.
Commissioner Powell inquired if this was the "actual bottom line" for the Nutrition Center. Moore stated that she would gather those numbers. According to Moore, the $45,000 does not account for electricity, fuel and other expenses.
On the topic of purchasing a Milling Machine for roads restoration:
“Everyone in the county is complaining about the roads. The county has no equipment to repair the roads other than a trailer load of hot mix to throw a few shovels in a pothole… with a milling machine the county will be able to till up the road repack it and then you have a good surface” said Judge Cochran.
Powell stated, “To my knowledge the county has never had this type of equipment.”
Other topics
The court made the decision to allot $10,000 to help manage and maintain the buy-out properties in the southern part of the county. The court also decided on a 3% raise across the county including their own salaries.
Judge Ronnie Cochran presided over the meeting with Commissioners Danny Bentsen, Phillip White and Leanord Powell all in attendance including recently elected Prentice Hopson. Commissioner Precinct 3 Gary Fomby did not attend.
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