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Commissioners approve prosecutor's request to pay staff from DTAC fund after debate on general-fund offsets
Summary
The Richland County Board of Commissioners approved an appropriation to have the prosecutor's office begin paying several employees from the DTAC fund rather than the general fund, prompting questions about reimbursement timing and long-term fund sustainability.
The Richland County Board of Commissioners voted May 20 to approve an appropriation allowing the prosecutor's office to begin paying certain employees and benefits directly from the DTAC fund (fund 103), a change staff said would take effect with the first June payroll.
Senior clerk Stacy Kroll and county staff explained the mechanics during the meeting: historically the prosecutor's office paid employees from the general fund and was reimbursed by the DTAC transfer later; the office requested that payroll for one employee plus a percentage of four others be paid directly from DTAC starting with the payroll that begins in June. "They're asking ... to start paying that employee and a percentage of 4 other from the detect fund," Kroll said, describing the office's request.
Office materials presented at the meeting listed the appropriation request as $168,000 for wages and benefits; staff also cited a DTAC revenue estimate to the general fund of $155,000, and noted the DTAC fund balance was "about a million dollars". Commissioners sought clarity on how the change would affect the general fund salary lines and whether reductions should be made immediately or at a future meeting. "If the commissioner were to approve this appropriation ... there should be a corresponding reduction in their general fund salary line item," said Cliff (last name not specified in transcript) during the discussion.
The board recorded a motion to approve the appropriation after the discussion and proceeded to vote; the transcript shows commissioners voting "Yes" (recorded as Tony Vero and others). Meeting comments emphasized the need for staff to work out the exact amounts and return with a dollar-figure adjustment to the general fund salary lines at a subsequent meeting. "Can you get with Jody on what amount we need to reduce it by then, and we can do that at the next meeting," one commissioner said; staff agreed to follow up.
Commissioners also raised the long-term sustainability question: staff noted that while the DTAC fund had a healthy balance at the moment, continued use of that fund for salaries could deplete it over time and the general fund might not be able to backfill if DTAC were exhausted.
The transcript records that the motion carried on voice vote; the appropriation was characterized in the meeting as not coming from the general fund but from fund 103 as requested by the prosecutor's office.
