 A number of county-affiliated departments and agencies receive
regular accounting and service processes through various county
offices.
In looking for compensation for the costs of services provided,
the finance committee has identified outside agencies and
departments as those where the county does not have control of
hiring and firing. The employees are not paid out of the county's
general operations fund; most are part of a levy.
The departments and agencies commingle with county departments,
gaining the strength of a shared pool for health insurance,
retirement savings plans and other benefits. As such, the
departments receive management services such as payroll.
The county treasurer's office provides the bulk of the service in
the form of payroll, but the clerk and board administrative offices
also supply periodic services.
The county's outside agencies include emergency
telecommunications, highway department, health department, waste
management agency, cemetery district, regional superintendent of
schools and Land of Lincoln Consortium.
Payment for services to outside departments equalized
Currently each entity has been charged $600 a year for services,
to help cover some of those costs.
It was recognized this year that charging by the department was
not fair to smaller departments, such as waste management with only
a few employees, versus the health department, which is much larger.
It would be better to charge by the employee.
Keeping in mind what it would cost in the private sector and
wishing to stay below that cost, the finance committee consulted
Vicki Dugan, county treasurer.
A figure of $60 per full-time employee, per year was decided on.
Dugan said the fee would minimally cover the work that is actually
being performed.
To not overburden departments that have stretched budgets and use
part-time or seasonal help, such as the highway department, it was
further stipulated that individuals who work more than six months in
the year would be counted as full-time employees.
The change earned full board support last month and would take
effect at the start of the new fiscal year on Dec. 1.
Other financial decisions last month included increasing
community animal control contracts according to the Consumer Price
Index.
School sales tax referendum
Sally Litterly, county clerk and recorder, told finance committee
members last month that it is the board's decision to determine the
tax rate for the recently passed school tax. The board does have the
option to set the rate between 0.25 and 1 percent.
The committee consented that 1 percent would be their
recommendation.
Litterly explained that starting the process needed to wait until
the election has been certified. She thought that would be completed
in time for the finance committee to bring the ordinance forward in
May. The ordinance would then need to be put on display 30 days and
could be sent to the state in June. Oct. 1 is the deadline for the
board to pass this. It then would go into effect Jan. 1, 2012.
Schools would begin seeing the revenue from it in April 2012.
Food code updated
Modifications recommended by Don Cavi at the health department
were unanimously approved for the county's food code, updating it
and creating a practicable certificate for the sale of meat and eggs
at the farmers market.
[to top of second column] |
 Civil War soldier statue installed. Next...
Following the dedication of the replacement Civil War soldier
statue on April 9, the statue committee determined to stay together,
with plans to erect a statue of Abraham Lincoln in the future. The
new statue would be located on the Pulaski-McLean corner of the
Logan County Courthouse grounds.
Insurance committee
Two changes have been made to the insurance committee. Bob
Farmer, county board chairman, asked Andy Anderson to take his place
on the committee. Anderson accepted and was approved by the board.
The insurance committee meetings will move to the second
Wednesday of every month, beginning this week, and will start at 7
p.m. at the Logan County Courthouse.
Appointments
The board approved the following appointments at their adjourned
session in April:
-
Northern Logan
County Water Authority -- Tom Cross
-
Logan County
Cemetery Maintenance District -- Ron Ritchhart
-
Logan County
Regional Planning Commission -- Derrick Crane, Dave Evans, Bill
Graff, Gerald Lolling
-
Lincoln & Logan
County Development Partnership -- Robert Pharis, Robert Arneaud,
Douglas Muck
-
Water and fire district appointment
recommendations for Atlanta, Emden, Elkhart, New Holland,
Armington, Beason and Chestnut Water District 541 were also
approved.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST]
Past related
articles
 |
