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Carroll County presents budget with health‑care, insurance and salary increases; fund‑balance use trimmed
Summary
Finance Director Alicia Searcy presented a proposed county budget that assumes an 11.6% health‑insurance increase, 5% property/casualty insurance rise and a 3% salary bump; the draft relies on $853,000 of fund balance and transfers to support a new solid‑waste enterprise fund.
Alicia Searcy, Carroll County finance director, presented the county's draft budget and described the assumptions shaping the proposal, including an 11.6% increase in health insurance, a 5% rise in property and casualty insurance, and a 3% salary increase for employees. She also explained accounting changes that move convenience‑center expenses into a solid‑waste enterprise fund to give a more accurate cost picture.
Searcy said the county is projecting a small growth in E‑911 wireless revenue but flat prepaid wireless receipts. "The bottom line on the revenue, you see that operating transfer from the general fund coming in of 188,300 to give us a total revenue of 3,086,750," she said while outlining the 911 fund closer to operations. She warned that if state action shifts wireless receipts to the state, the county would need to alter the plan.
The finance director said the general fund balancing plan currently projects using $853,000 of fund balance for next year. "We projected a million one last year, and we're not going to have to use that," she told commissioners, adding that the county will still use fund balance for a planned purchase of the ShotSpot building and will process that through a budget amendment.
Beyond insurance and salaries, Searcy noted one‑time and recurring cost changes across departments: increased contractual and maintenance costs in 911 (Motorola contract uncertainty), higher utilities and fuel from new equipment and a larger convenience‑center building, and an increase in contingency to cover a possible state change to the insurance premium tax (estimated at about $150,000).
Commissioners asked staff to confirm assumptions and bring more detail on revenue drivers such as property‑tax digest growth and parks revenue trends. Staff also agreed to follow up with state representatives about potential legislation affecting 911 receipts and to bring more precise estimates for solid‑waste pass sales and other newly reallocated lines.
The board set a follow‑up work session for April 29 to continue review and directed department heads to provide clarifying data ahead of formal advertisement of the budget. The budget will be advertised for public comment and can be adjusted before final adoption.
