Spencer County commissioners adopt fiscal-year budget and approve 2.5% pay increase

Spencer County commissioners voted on June 22 to adopt the county’s fiscal‑year budget and approve a 2.5% across‑the‑board pay increase for county employees, with probationary employees to receive the raise after completing their probationary periods.

The budget presentation reviewed revenues and key assumptions. "We budgeted at 1.2, so we're pretty pretty close on it," said Robert Brown, the finance officer, as he compared current collections for real‑property and occupational taxes with the budgeted figures. Brown reported real property tax collections of roughly $1.109 million compared with a $1.2 million assumption and said occupational and insurance premium receipts were tracking ahead of last year.

Commissioners heard that road fund receipts were expected to fall this year (from about $1.062 million last year to an $825,000 estimate), but the county will receive approximately $460,000 earmarked for a large blacktop project that should reduce the need to allocate budgeted funds for paving.

Following discussion of appropriations and staffing lines, Doc moved to approve the budget second reading as presented; Will seconded the motion. The board approved the budget on a voice vote.

Separately, the commission debated how to structure raises for on‑call staff, paramedics and longstanding employees before agreeing on a 2.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment. The board approved a motion to set the 2.5% increase "across the board," to include the sheriff's and clerk's offices and to apply to probationary employees once they complete probation; the motion carried on voice vote. The meeting record did not include a roll‑call tally for that vote.

The board also agreed to finalize a list of on‑call positions for potential differential pay and to revisit rate rounding and specific job‑class schedules if additional adjustments are needed.

Other votes tied to the budget included acknowledgment of an edited January 1–March 31 finance report and approval of annual standing orders that pre‑authorize routine payments for services such as attorney fees, coroner expenses, loans for the animal shelter and pavilion, and training and conference costs. Those motions were approved on voice votes.

The meeting packet discussed tourism support, cemetery maintenance, community events and a higher jail‑fund transfer in the current budget cycle; commissioners flagged several of those line items for follow‑up.

The commission adjourned after approving the personnel‑policy forms, the budget and the personnel actions on the agenda. The fiscal‑year budget will take effect as formally adopted by the court.