Commission approves routine budget moves, raises county attorney retainer and dozens of line-item transfers

The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners approved a package of budget transfers and routine motions and raised the county attorney retainer during its meeting on May 6, 2025.

The votes were largely unanimous and covered payroll and maintenance transfers, school fund moves, and small capital items. Commissioners also approved an increase in the county attorney retainer and authorized bidding for mowing of county properties.

The most notable formal actions included continuing the TCRS employer rate at 7% for the 2025–26 budget year; moving funds to cover courthouse skylights; moving the Van Buren County Board of Education General Fund line as presented; increasing the county attorney retainer from $550 to $750 per month effective July 1, 2025; and a series of smaller transfers for overtime, commission fees, maintenance, EMS equipment and two portable radios for ambulance/EMS service. The board also approved using remaining HRSA ARP funds at the health department to replace flooring and make exterior improvements (see separate article on the health department request).

Several transfers were routine adjustments between line items (from account 39000 to multiple 01/xxxx lines) to cover shortfalls and anticipated invoices. The meeting transcript records that most motions were made by commissioners including Kale Crane, Jordan Delong, Terry Hickey and Terry Hodges and that roll-call votes showed “all members voted yes” for the listed motions unless otherwise noted.

A summary list of actions recorded in the meeting transcript follows:

- Continue TCRS employer rate at 7% for the 2025–26 budget year (motion by Kale Crane; second by Terry Hodges). Roll call: all members yes.

- Approve budget amendment to cover courthouse skylights (amount referenced in transcript: 88,500 from 39,000 to unassigned 01/2135 courthouse maintenance) (motion by Jordan Delong; second by Terry Hickey). Roll call: all members yes.

- Move Van Buren County Board of Education General Fund 141 as presented (motion by Terry Hickey; second by Jordan Delong). Roll call: all members yes.

- Increase county attorney retainer fee for Howard Upchurch from $550 to $750 per month starting July 1, 2025 (motion by Terry Hodges; second by Kale Crane). Roll call: all members yes.

- Multiple smaller transfers (overtime adjustments, commission fees, solid waste fund moves, courthouse/jail maintenance, EMS maintenance and radio purchases) were approved by roll call with ‘all members voted yes’ recorded for each motion unless otherwise noted in the transcript.

- Solicit bids for mowing county properties; list to be made by the mayor’s office (motion by Kale Crane; second by Terry Hickey). Vote recorded as 7 yes, 3 no in the roll-call summary cited in the transcript for that item (transcript line: “3 no’s, no’s, 7 yes”).

- Approve spending remainder of an existing health-department HRSA ARP grant ($146,599 remaining) for flooring, painting, stair flooring and gutters if an amended contract can be obtained from the state (motion and vote recorded; see health department article for details).

All motions that required a roll call were recorded in the transcript; most were approved. The exact numeric vote tallies were not always provided in the transcript text beyond the repeated phrase “all members voted yes,” except where noted above.

The board adjourned after a short executive-session motion to consult with the attorney, the commission and the sheriff.