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Lincoln County commission concurs with budget committee; denies department head raise, approves amendments and vehicle reallocation
Summary
The county commission on Jan. 21 concurred with the budget committee to decline a salary increase request for a department head, approved multiple budget amendments and authorized using surplus funds to buy a transport vehicle for the sheriff’s department; it also authorized purchase of a small parcel from the solid-waste fund.
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 21 concurred with the county budget committee’s recommendation to deny a midterm pay increase requested for department head Charles Hunter.
The budget committee reported a 7–1 committee vote to decline the requested raise; the full commission later voted to concur with that recommendation. The commission vote recorded one opposing vote and one abstention from members present during the roll call.
The board also approved several financial items the budget committee forwarded: the county’s budget calendar and guidance, 101 general fund amendments and 141 general purpose school fund amendments. All three items passed unanimously at the meeting.
Sheriff Malone’s office requested a change to an August 2024 budget amendment to use surplus property funds to purchase a transport vehicle rather than an additional patrol vehicle. The budget committee had unanimously approved the change, noting the transport vehicle is available on state contract and that the department has roughly $60,000 available in a cleanup/surplus account. The commission concurred and approved the amendment by voice vote.
Separately, the solid-waste committee recommended acquiring a roughly 0.49-acre tract near the Beville Fire Station, funded from the solid-waste fund balance. The committee authorized EMA director Doug Campbell to offer $6,000 but not more than $8,000 for the parcel; the full commission approved the purchase. Later in the meeting commissioners accepted an offer of $6,000 for the tract and authorized the county mayor/chairman to sign a contract and deed for that sale price.
Why it matters: The commission’s concurrence with the budget committee sets county payroll policy by declining a midterm raise, reallocates existing sheriff’s funds to a transport vehicle, and commits up to $8,000 from the solid-waste fund balance to acquire land that could support a volunteer fire station or a convenience center.
What comes next: Staff will implement the budget amendments, pursue the transport vehicle purchase on state contract, and complete the land sale paperwork and deed transfer.
