County commission approves increase in budget for 2014

A preliminary county budget with a modest increase in appropriations was unanimously approved Monday by the Cape Girardeau County Commission. The 2014 revenue budget presented to the county commission showed $11,727,813 for appropriations, a slight increase over the allotment of $11,545,883 in 2013.

"The final budget presented in January will reflect the actual numbers," said County Auditor Pete Frazier. "The preliminary numbers are estimates."

Frazier said the commission normally approves a first-round plan for the county to carry operations through the end of December until they vote on a final budget in January, after the completion of bill paying and revenue gathering for the previous year.

In the preliminary budget presented to the commission, Frazier said there were two primary appropriation increases that concern election spending and the addition of a child-support attorney to the Cape Girardeau County Prosecutor's office.

"We'll be in an election cycle in 2014," he said, "and we've appropriated about $125,000 to cover the cost. The appropriation to the prosecutor's office is about $80,000 for an attorney and a staff person."

The preliminary budget also includes a 2 percent increase in cost of living adjustments for county employees, nearly $44,000 for technology licensing fees and about $22,000 for repairs at the county jail. Areas where the budget is proposed to be lower include about $72,000 less being spent by the sheriff's department, about $17,000 less being spent at the Common Pleas Courthouse and almost $19,000 less being spent at the circuit clerk's office.

Frazier said sales-tax revenue collected through November showed an increase of only 1.4 percent over 2013, but that has been the case in Cape Girardeau County for the last few years.

"We don't see any new revenue streams right now," he said. "We also didn't see any last year or the year before. It's a challenge to provide the services that citizens of the county are accustomed to, but it's not gloom and doom. The budget is much more stable than where we could be."

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy said he was happy with the preliminary figures that were presented.

"There have been many departments that have put in a lot of hours toward lowering their budget," Tracy said. "The county will be fine."

The county's estimated sales-tax revenue in 2014 is $6,912,800, and revenue from sources other than sales tax is estimated at $4,179,036. The estimated balance on the books Dec. 31 will be $807,428, and when combined with revenue will make the county's gross amount available for appropriation $11,899,264. The estimated unencumbered balance in 2014 will be $171,451.

klewis@semissourian.com

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