Fayette County adopts FY2025 budget and raises court reporter per diems
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Summary
The Fayette County Board of Commissioners adopted the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and approved increases to contract court reporter per diems — raising rates to $400 — citing recruitment needs and modest net positive fund impact for the year.
Fayette County’s Board of Commissioners adopted the Fiscal Year 2025 budget on June 27, 2024, approving a plan that projects a $402,479 positive net impact to the general fund and funds a five-year Capital Improvement Program totaling $6,061,021.
Chief Financial Officer Sheryl Weinmann presented the budget at a second public hearing, highlighting an estimated FY2024 fund balance of $30.7 million and several adjustments since the first hearing, including technical services, Cooperative Extension pay, and personnel changes for the Griffin Judicial Circuit and Sheriff’s Office. The Board moved and approved technical service and personnel adjustments before adopting Resolution 2024-05 to finalize the FY2025 budget (vote 4-0).
Separately, the Board approved two related actions to increase contract court reporter per diem rates. The Board approved Resolution 2024-09 to raise the per diem for contract court reporters in Fayette County courts (State, Juvenile, and Probate courts) from $200 to $400 (vote 4-0). The Board also approved Resolution 2024-08 addressing Griffin Judicial Circuit per diems; that circuit-wide resolution passed with three votes in favor and one abstention (3-0-1), with Commissioner Charles D. Rousseau abstaining while raising concerns about other counties’ concurrence. County Attorney Dennis A. Davenport and County Administrator Steve Rapson said the increase was intended to bring pay in line with neighboring jurisdictions and improve recruitment for a small number of positions.
Weinmann told the Board the FY2025 budget maintains employee benefits and preserves current service delivery levels, and includes planned capital expenditures and modest personnel adjustments. Commissioner Charles W. Oddo and Vice Chairman Edward Gibbons led motions to approve individual line-item adjustments and praised departmental collaboration in preparing the budget.
The budget and the per-diem changes will take effect as adopted; the Griffin Judicial Circuit change will only be fully effective once all counties in that circuit adopt the same resolution as described in the adopted resolution.