Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mill Elevator Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mill and Elevator presents operating, wage and staffing requests; committee signals preliminary support
Summary
The Appropriations — Education and Environment Division reviewed Mill and Elevator budget requests, including a $10.63 million base budget request, two car‑inspector FTEs, and operating increases; committee members directed staff to fold the requests into long‑sheet figures for next week's deliberations.
Kathy, a representative for the Mill and Elevator, briefed the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on the agency’s budget request and the committee discussed wage, staffing and operating‑expense items before agreeing to move the numbers into the long‑sheet for further review.
Kathy outlined a base budget request of $10,632,474 and requested two additional FTEs (car inspectors) to support a transition to a fourth shift that committee members said would reduce overtime and improve employee work–life balance. She described the agency as a special‑funds enterprise and noted that its wage and staffing decisions are tied to internal revenues; the committee discussed how adding FTEs and wage dollars affects both the agency’s operations and the state’s appropriation calculus.
Committee staff (Adam) explained a discrepancy between the agency’s requested salary and wages total and the Armstrong budget figures. Adam said the agency's worksheet did not include a health‑insurance cost line when producing its salary totals, and that accounts for roughly a $1 million difference between the agency request and the governor's recommended figure. Staff also noted the agency’s operating‑expense request rose compared with the prior period — an increase explained in testimony as higher utilities, insurance and supply costs and a planned expansion of operations tied to increased shipments and production.
Senators discussed retaining the agency in the FTE pool versus removing it; Kathy and staff said the Mill and Elevator is a special‑funds agency that generates revenues and historically has requested FTEs together with funding to support those positions. The committee signaled support for including the agency’s requested adjustments on the long‑sheet (including an additional roughly $1 million for salaries and roughly $2.7 million for operating expense above the governor’s figures, per staff calculations) so the full committee can continue deliberations.
Ending: The committee did not approve final appropriations at the hearing. Members asked staff to fold the Mill and Elevator figures into the long‑sheet and revisit them in upcoming full‑committee sessions.
