Committee trims county‑building maintenance lines and approves county buildings budget

The Budget and Finance Committee voted to reduce two county‑building maintenance line items and approved the county buildings budget as amended.

The move followed questions about overtime and historic spending. Mister Gulley noted that the two maintenance lines together spent $19,075 last year and proposed tapping the county’s capital outlay account for larger repairs. “As stated last year, it spent $19,075,” Mister Gulley said, arguing the reduced amounts would still leave a reserve for incidental repairs. The committee approved a motion to cut line item 3‑35 from $20,000 to $15,000 and line item 3‑36 from $30,000 to $15,000; the chair announced the reduction on a subsequent voice vote.

Committee members also discussed an admin‑building and courthouse paint and HVAC needs that could require a lift and several months of work. The committee moved to strike a separate site‑development allocation to zero after members noted little recent spending in that line and clarified that work on a proposed new jail was not funded from that account.

Amy, the committee’s finance staffer, provided final figures: total county‑buildings funding was $334,467, with the packet showing a positive change displayed in green. The committee approved the county buildings budget as amended.

The committee proceeded to the animal‑shelter item next; no additional action on county buildings was scheduled at tonight’s meeting.