Waldo County Budget Committee Reviews Department Budgets, Finance Staffing

The Waldo County Budget Committee heard budget presentations from the Register of Probate, Emergency Management, and the Finance Office, with much of the discussion focused on the finance office's workload and a request for additional staffing. The committee voted unanimously to have the finance office pursue a contractor while continuing to look for a full-time staff accountant. Members also raised questions about market rate salary adjustments, the county's borrowing costs, and reserve accounts.

Key points

• The committee voted unanimously to have the finance office start with a contractor while continuing to search for a full-time staff accountant, with the finance office to bring back numbers for that plan.
• Register of Probate Sharon Peavy presented increases for court appointments, shelving, a scanner, and software fees; commissioners noted the personnel line still needs correction tied to a 3.4 percent COLA and a market rate adjustment.
• Commissioners described an internal salary survey that led to market rate adjustments totaling $104,297.56 across 11 department heads, effective on anniversary dates rather than January 1.
• Emergency Management Director Dale Rowley presented a budget up 9.98 percent, citing a market adjustment for his own salary and a cut to his non-salary budget.
• Finance Director Carrie described being at or near burnout as a one-person department, with bank reconciliations roughly five months behind and no one reconciling since the prior contractor's work ended.
• The committee discussed the county's tax anticipation note borrowing, including about $87,597 in interest owed and a projected 5.63 percent rate on a planned $6.5 million TAN.

Next steps

• The finance office will work on a plan and numbers for starting with a contractor while searching for a full-time staff accountant, to be discussed at a future meeting.
• Laura requested in writing a full budget overview, reserve account details, and budget-to-actual figures, to be submitted to the chair for the minutes.
• Budget committee members were invited to tour county facilities, including the jail and communications center, by contacting Barb.
• The Midcoast Council of Governments presentation was left off the agenda and will be addressed separately.

Read the full transcript