By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — Just when Tuscola County Commissioners figured they had the 2014 general fund budget ready for approval at Thursday morning’s 7:30 meeting, new issues arose.
At Monday’s committee meeting, Undersheriff Glen Skrent explained the department needs new software to make booking and inmate tracking more efficient.
“The system we have locks up constantly. It’s now taking about 45 minutes to just do one booking,” said Skrent. “The estimated cost of the software is about $20,000.”
The department feels the new software is so important the sheriff is willing to postpone until 2015 the purchase of a new van that had been added into the 2014 budget.
As of Monday, the general fund budget for 2014 was projected to be $12.7 million, with about $234,000 in reserve funds needed to balance. They county has about $1 million in fund reserves and about $1.39 million in a capital improvement fund for facility upkeep.
Despite added revenue from wind farms, the county revenue base is eroding because of decreasing personal property values, less state funding, low interest earnings and increased operational costs — as well as uncontrollable costs such as housing abused, neglected and delinquent children. This year that cost increased from $175,000 to $300,000, and county officials expect to spend much more next year.
“That cost all depends on how many children have to be placed. On average one placed youth costs the county about $120,000 a year,” said county controller Mike Hoagland. “There are currently four children in institutional care.
“Between both probate juvenile and delinquent and human services cases, the county expects to budget about $841,000 in 2014 to cover the cost of institutionalized youths.”
While fine tuning the 2014 budget Thursday before its expected approval, commissioners are expected to address the lack of resources for medical examiner – investigator cases, staffing at the Tuscola County Health Department to handle death and cremation certificates in a timely fashion, and review information relating to the reduction and/or elimination of ethanol being mixed with gasoline.
“This issue could have a huge impact on the area,” said commission chair Thom Bardwell. “We have the first ethanol factory in the state. Farmers bought and leased land just to raise corn. There are a lot of jobs there, and other companies — seed and fertilizer and such — who would also see a financial impact from that change.”
Also, the issue of Senate Bill 626 of reducing land-line phones is expected to be reviewed. If approved, the bill would have a huge impact — especially to seniors who rely on that service for medical monitoring, safety, and because several areas in the county do not have reliable cellular telephone service,
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.