Houston County commissioners approve balanced budget with stipends and targeted raises

Houston County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a balanced budget that includes $100 meeting stipends for commissioners, targeted pay increases for county staff and plans to return a $1 million grant-related accounting entry to fund 172 at the June legislative meeting.

The chair, who presented the budget, said the plan is balanced and described a stipend structure: "every commissioner will get $100" for attending meetings, with additional $100 payments for work-body meeting attendance and voting sessions, making $300 the maximum for a fully participating commissioner. Committee chairs will receive $100 when they host a meeting and committee members will receive $50 for attending; chairs were tasked with recording and approving minutes.

The budget package also includes several personnel adjustments the chair characterized as moves toward market parity. The chair proposed a $4,000 raise for the youth service officer and a raise for Melissa in archives and history, while saying both would still fall short of regional market rates. "The 911 director, that's Holly. We brought her up last year. This will bring her up and this now brings her where she's in the peer group level with some of the surrounding counties," the chair said, praising Holly's work.

Other personnel items in the adopted budget include a proposed 2% increase for courthouse clerical staff (estimated at about $8,000), a 2% raise for library assistants (estimated at $1,640) and a 2% increase for convenience-center staff (about $2,641). The chair told the board that projected revenue gains—from property-tax growth tied to new houses and increased sales-tax receipts after remote sellers began collecting tax—more than cover the proposed raises and stipends.

The chair also described a grant accounting adjustment: the county had moved $1 million into fund 172 to cover grant-related payments but, after state approval to pay bills, plans to move that $1 million back at the June legislative meeting.

Randall moved to approve the budget; Chris Pits seconded. In a roll-call vote called by Brandon, commissioners recorded their votes as: Randall, yes; Glenn, yes; Chris Pits, yes; Vicky Green, yes; Stephanie Smith, yes; Howard Spurgeon, yes. The motion passed and the budget was adopted.

The commission also discussed increasing the minimum reserve for fund 116 from $50,000 to $100,000; that proposal was noted for future consideration. The meeting adjourned after brief additional comments and thanks to staff.