Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nelson County judge executive cites hundreds of thousands in unbilled garbage fees, staffing cuts and phone-system savings
Summary
Judge Executive Tim Hutchins told listeners that audit work found hundreds of thousands of dollars in unbilled garbage fees at the landfill; he said the court eliminated positions, reorganized departments and redirected phone-system savings (about $75,000 per year) to fund street-light installations.
Judge Executive Tim Hutchins told WBRT listeners that an audit of county operations turned up substantial long-term billing gaps at the landfill for garbage service and that the Fiscal Court is taking steps to address the shortfall.
"We found out there's hundreds of thousands of dollars that's unpaid garbage bills that nobody went after," Hutchins said, adding the unbilled amounts may have accumulated over many years and could total near a million dollars. Hutchins said staff are working to identify the causes and implement new billing procedures and an updated ordinance to make responsibilities clearer for landlords and renters.
Hutchins described personnel and organizational changes the administration has made to reduce costs: he said seven positions were eliminated and some roles were reorganized or converted to contracts to save roughly $600,000, and that self-insuring the county health plan has saved about $861,000 a year, creating reserve funds for emergencies.
Caller Kevin Clem expressed support for the fiscal reforms. "I appreciate the fiscal responsibility and the transparency that you've brought," Clem said on air, thanking Hutchins for the cost-saving measures.
Hutchins also said the county negotiated a new phone system contract that will save approximately $75,000 per year; he said part of those savings will help pay for an expanded street-light installation program so the work does not increase taxes. He described the courthouse heating and air replacement as an expensive pending project and said officials are still finalizing funding to complete the work.
Hutchins said the administration intends to pursue collection and process changes for unpaid accounts and to avoid repeating past gaps, while balancing fairness for residents. He urged residents with questions to contact county staff at the provided phone numbers.
