Putnam County officials present FY26 budget requests including courtroom furniture, raises and staffing changes

Several elected officials presented their proposed fiscal‑year 2026 budgets and highlighted personnel, equipment and one large facilities request during the commission’s budget presentations.

Stephanie Smith, Putnam County circuit clerk, told the commission she is requesting a 5% across‑the‑board pay increase for her employees and an additional $500 for overtime. She said recent implementation of the West Virginia PASS online system has, contrary to expectations, increased workload because of unclear directives for record requests and searches. Smith also presented photos and vendor proposals for courtroom and jury‑room chairs and other furniture, saying many seats date to the courthouse opening in 1997 and some are mechanically unsafe. She said the Capital Business Interiors proposals in the packet total “well over $250,000,” depending on options, and invited commissioners to inspect the furniture in person.

“We finally hit that sweet spot as far as operating budgets … so the only thing I am asking for is a 5% across the board raise for my employees,” Smith said. She added the $500 overtime request “would give us a little bit more wiggle room” for court clerks and staff.

Another presenter, identified in the record as Chris Raines, asked for an additional $6,000 in professional‑services funds to pay for expert witnesses in complex criminal cases, and also requested a 5% cost‑of‑living increase for his office staff except for grant‑funded positions. Raines said Marion Smith, the office’s victim advocate and currently funded in part through a VOCA grant, should be added as a county payroll position to avoid service interruptions if federal grant funding declines; he requested adding a $45,000 annual salary plus fringe benefits to the full‑time employee line to make the position county funded.

The sheriff (name not specified on the record) reported a generally flat revenue outlook for the coming year and requested a 5% pay increase, four cruisers (quoted at roughly $250,000 total when accounting for outfitting), one additional home‑confinement officer to keep up with a growing supervised population, and $15,000 to upgrade records and van‑imaging systems. The sheriff also renewed concerns about courthouse maintenance, sanitary fixtures in holding cells and deteriorated public spaces.

Other elected officials made smaller, routine changes to narratives and line items: Gary Warner described a $10,000 increase in a narrative item tied to assessment mailings and potential funding from the county’s TIFF fund; Brian Wood described routine requests and a 5% increase for employees. Presenters said most items will be discussed further at a budget workshop later the same day and at a carryover day the following Tuesday.

Commissioners did not adopt or reject these budget requests at the meeting; they were presented for the commission’s consideration during upcoming budget workshops.