Taney County Budget Approved, Salary Study to Continue

By: Sally Kaucher
Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Taney County commissioners have approved the budget for 2012. After county departments were asked to cut back expenses, the approved budget outlines 16-and a half million dollars in expenditures, to be met with only 12-million dollars in projected revenue. Commissioners say the county will dip into reserves, with a working deficit expected of 1-point-5 to 1-point-9 million dollars. The budget does not include raises for employees, but commissioners say a salary study will continue. Western District Commissioner Jim Strafuss says it’s a complex process, and commissioners want to be sure that all employees are treated fairly…

Jim Strafuss 2012A069

Commissioners say some county employees have not received pay raises in 3 to 5 years, and while they considered asking employees to contribute to their health insurance coverage, they decided against that, saying it’s one of the few ways the county can attract and retain skilled employees.

=====(2^nd version)=====

Taney County will dip into reserves to meet some of its 2012 expenditures, but commissioners say the county is in better financial shape than many other counties in Missouri. County commissioners have approved the plan calling for 16-and a half million dollars in expenditures, while projecting only 12-million dollars in revenue. Presiding Commissioner Ron Houseman was asked whether the actions of previous Taney County Commissions affected this year’s budget…

Ron Houseman 2012A070

Houseman says some counties in Missouri are cutting back their hours, others are reducing employee benefits, and making other changes in services, but Taney County isn’t doing that. The budget approved Monday does not include pay raises for employees, but commissioners say a salary study will continue.

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Taney County is in better financial shape than many other Missouri counties, despite projecting 12-million dollars in revenue to meet 16-and-a-half million dollars in expenditures. County commissioners approved the 2012 budget, saying reserves will help fill in the gap, with an expected working deficit of up to 1-point-9 million dollars. Presiding Commissioner Ron Houseman says the various county departments were asked to look at their expenses and cut where they could…

Ron Houseman 2012A071

Houseman says the plan going forward is to develop a long term strategy of sound fiscal policies, to investigate all spending policies, and to eliminate waste through better oversight. The budget approved for 2012 does not include employee raises, but commissioners say a salary study will continue.

Comments (8) - comment on this story

Opinionated - 01/10/2012 3:45:51 AM

Make the commisioners drive there own cars and stop making the county pay for their gas and upkeep on a county vehicle. That might help. I know I have seen the commisioners driving county cars around on the weekends.

wowster - 01/10/2012 6:47:03 AM

No raises unless your in the popular crowd, because there have been raises for a few chosen ones and quite handsome raises to boot. Wish they would quit running our county like high school.

Taney Co girl.... - 01/10/2012 9:34:11 AM

I hear the wonderful commissoners of Taney Co won't be giving any raises this year - oh but they'll hire more people to work for them. What a great way to dump of TC employee's but help their own departments. We REALLY need commissioners that not only care for themselves but also care for the TC workers as well as the County.

Taney County - 01/10/2012 12:07:15 PM

After listening to a meeting the other day. The commission stated that the employee salary survey could not be made public. How convenient for them. This tactic gives them the power to increase salaries of those them deem worthy. Also, the salary survey compared Taney County positions with the private industry. Typically when these types of surveys are done they compare to other counties with the same classification and similar positions. It is difficult to say the least to compare County positions with private enterprise. I am also very interested in how they can create a long term financial strategy when the county does not have a general plan or comprehensive plan? What will they base their numbers off of? What are their long term goals in providing services or capital improvements. Without a general plan they are floating around aimlessly. One persons experience at NEC does not give them the knowledge on how salary surveys are done. Evidence of that is the simple fact that they are comparing private to public salaries. Did I not read previously that if a reduction of 5% per department would ensure raises across the board? Guess not. It appears as if only those that are grossly underpaid will be given consideration. How is it that the new purchasing agent makes 2.5 times the amount that the previous person that was in the position? This was before the survey. Time for the press to ask the commissioners some difficult questions.

Concerned Citizen - 01/10/2012 4:19:22 PM

Ok after 28.5 employees being dismissed last year the commission hired two employess at salaries much higher than what was originally paid and/or created positions with a salary higher than anyone expected. Those positions were purchasing/grants (replacement paid at a higher salary & less experience) and created Human Resource Director at a salary of over $50,000.00. I also believe that there were some who did receive raises all at the expense of losing employees. Taxpayers need to ask for the hourly wage for 2010/2011 and now 2012. Don't look at the yearly salary figure ask for the hourly figure and see what is meant here. I am tired of the false pretense our commissioners give to the taxpayers and their so called concern for the dedicated employee. Give raises this year they deserve it more the commissioners.

analyze this - 01/11/2012 11:59:10 AM

"considered asking employees to contribute to their health insurance coverage, they decided against that" - If you raise the deductable and co-pay on the insurance that would be a "cut" in benefits which is what the county did. Increase in deductible of $1000.00 per year is the same as a $.48 cut in hourly rate (1000/2080=.48). For the employee to breakeven they would need a 48 Cent an hour raise.

rb - 01/12/2012 5:43:24 PM

I think the way to examine what kind of job the commissioners are doing to reduce payroll is to look at what they have done reducing their own wages and benefits. First look at their cutbacks then you will know how fair they will be with employee cutbacks.

been there - 01/16/2012 9:46:03 AM

Salary survies only benefit commisioners or administration , it is a false promise, waste of money and a slap to the worker