SIDNEY — The Shelby County Board of Commissions has approved budgets for 2018 totalling more than $74 million, a 11 percent increase over last year’s budget.
The increase, for the most part, comes from appropriations for a couple of major construction projects. There are funds budgeted for animal shelter construction ($500,000), bond retirement ($321,310.31), a justice reinvestment grant (259,588.44), transitional housing construction ($800,000), the Shelby County Drug Task Force ($4,000), a CCA grant ($95,013.71) and a tax ease administration fund ($5,000) for which nothing was budgeted for 2017. The long-anticipated renovation of Fair Haven will begin this year. That line item has jumped from $200,000 in 2017 to $7,586,474.24 this year.
“The construction of the animal shelter, that’s basically pass-through monies from the Community Foundation,” said Commission Vice President Julie Ehemann, Thursday. “All of the stuff from Fair Haven is selling of bonds, which they have the cash flow to pay back.”
Grant monies budgeted last year for the city solicitor, victims’ assistance, Ohio Department of Education MRDD, community development block grant projects, community corrections, community development, CHIP amd hazzard mitigation have been zeroed out in this year’s appropriations.
The commissioners appropriated funds for departments whose budgets come from the general fund. In addition, they appropriated amounts of other funds for departments that don’t fall under the general fund appropriations. The monies are appropriated based on projected budgets submitted by department heads annually.
Thirty percent of the revenue to support the general fund is budgeted to come from the .75 percent sales tax. Property tax accounts for $2.5 million, Ehemann said. State government appropriations to the county and casino revenue add up to about $1.2 million.
“Almost $1 million comes from revenue from the sheriff,” she noted. Interest income is budgeted at $217,000.
“That’s up from $117,000 in 2011. But we used to get a million out of that,” Ehemann added. “Those are the big pots. After that, it’s little pieces, different fees.”
The general fund expenditures budgeted for 2018 are $17,021,893.28. The appropriations for other funds for 2018 are $57,365,664.50. The total is $64,387,5573.78. The highest amount, more than $10 million, is designated for the engineer’s auto and gas fund. That line item is $10,863,709.05. The smallest amount, $693, is for the jury commission.
A sales tax issue that resulted from a federal mandate has yet to be adequately addressed. States can no longer leverage tax against managed care organizations. Local entities asked the state to make up the difference.
“We got some transitional aid for 2018. We’re going to continue to work with our legislators on that issue,” Ehemann said.
Other amounts were divided as follows:
General fund: Commissioners, $390,586; Building Department, $60,000; sales tax, $3,030,300; auditor, $238,472; treasurer, $179,338; prosecuting attorney, $593,843; Bureau of Inspection, $70,000; Regional Planning Commission, $34,766.140; Court of Appeals, $15,676; Common Pleas Court, $284,943.94; domestic relations referee, $137,545; adult probation, $107,388; Juvenile Court, $700,743; Juvenile Court Title IV-E, $13588.76; Probate Court, $169,925.94.
Also, clerk of court, $334,670; coroner, $128,014; Municipal Court, $117,450; Board of Elections, $315,657; Building and Grounds, $661,623; courthouse security, $36,367; sheriff’s Sex Offender Registration Network, $3,000; Sheriff’s Office, $4,732,148; recorder, $172,686; emergency management, $60,000; public defender, $380,685; various grants, $340,966; medical mandated, $119,714.98.
Also, veterans relief donation fund, $3,072.52; soldier’s relief, $500,000; welfare grants, $115,000; sanitary engineer, $16,781; insurance, pensions and taxes, $2,241,441; miscellaneous, $446,239; unanticipated emergency, $268,600.
Other funds: Sheriff-Intelipay, $325,000; dog and kennel, $219,776.26; DUI enforcement, $12,000; Ohio Pet Fund grant, $14,000; DETAC-treasurer, $28,357; DETAC-prosecutor, $39,600; title administrator/clerk of courts, $285,856; computer fund-courts, $30,500; computerized legal research, $35,500; common pleas special projects, $82,000; recorder-supplement equipment, $46,500.
Also, roads and bridges, $143,573.40; adult day care, $161,018; Job and Family Services, $3,901,052; WIA grant fund, $142,280; Children’s Services, $1,065,973; child support enforcement, $930,707; Juvenile Court United Way impact, $72,783.60; real estate assessment, $538,827; soil conservation, $359,861.80; law library, $94,600; Regional Planning Commission, $65,735.14.
Also, permanent improvements, $1,118,000; capital improvements, $1,500,000; Nutrition Services of Shelby County, $238,913.50; probation services, $43,778.26; juvenile probation services, $900; Fair Haven Shelby County Home, $7,334,737.33; McCartyville debt service, $35,343.90; sewer district, $1,277,644.93; Mill Creek debt service, $22,170.52; Kettlersville sewer project, $49,638.75.
Also, Newport sewer project, $270,292.41; MRDD capital improvements, $50,220; ditch maintenance, $565,110.38; Probate Court conduct/business, $1,800; probate special projects, $31,800; probate dispute resolution, $2,000; juvenile special projects, $35,000; United Way special project grant, $1543.250; VOCA/VAA grant, $199,729.41; MRDD severance benefit fund, $40,600; MRDD board, $8,375,817; MRS day care, $208,955; Parks and Recreation, $15,000; CASA/GAL Association grant, $36,758.07.
Also, OPOTA, sheriff, $8,000; Board of Developmental Disabilities match fund, $1,315,400; Ohio Department of Education grants, $104,231.13; care and custody, $96,405; DARE/DARE abuse resist, $106,968; Ohio Department of Education grants MRDD, $66,374.92; Cops in School grant, $128,226; SVAA grant federal, $104,114.10; Home Revolving Loan, $20,000; 911 wireless, $65,000; trust funds, $12,300; emergency management, $167,400; HMEP grant, $10,000; LEPC, $30,000; SHSP FY2015, $1,589; EMPG grant, $44,445; domestic violence, $12,000; Sheriff Rotary Fund, $277,527.05; Sheriff’s Concealed Handgun, $120,710.56; employee health, $4,248,000; indigent guardianship, $7,0800.
“We continue to try to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money,” Ehemann said.
