Shelby County Commission approves $113.1 million dollar budget

The Shelby County Commission approved a $113.1 million budget on Monday, Sept. 10 for the 2019 fiscal year.

The first point on the agenda was to open the floor to county residents to speak in a Water Rate Study Public Hearing. However, with no residents in attendance, the hearing was promptly closed.

Next, the commission moved to put the proposed budget for the 2019 fiscal year up for approval. To summarize, $64.3 million will go towards the general fund, for the operational costs of the county. $15.5 million was designated to the Highway Department, and almost $21 million was slated for enterprise funds. The budget also includes $11.4 million in reserves for various funds balances.

However, the accepted budget did not have funds designated to the capital improvement fund, despite there being plans for various road work projects mentioned during the meeting.

The revenue for the 2019 fiscal year includes $2 million from motor vehicle taxes and $14.6 million in property tax. The county is expected to bring in $15.7 million from sales and use taxes and an additional $850,000 in building permit fees.

After the Water Rate Study hearing, the Commission, who is the rate-making authority for the county, approved that the existing retail minimum charge for water — $21.52 — go up to $22.10 in 2019. Additionally, the capital recovery charge will increase every year on Oct. 1, by a percentage that equals the current percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index.

The next resolution on the agenda was to address recycling contaminations, which keep the county from being able to sell the recyclable materials it picks up, and the Waste Pro Consumer Price Index increase/Contract Action. Waste Pro, Inc. has requested a consumer price increase not to exceed 3 percent annually. The calculated CPI increase from August 2017 through July 2018 was 2.47 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for all urban consumers in the southern region.

The resolution was approved and the new rates will be increased on Oct. 1.

The Commission also welcomed the city of Pelham’s newly appointed city manager, Gretchen DiFante, from Rochester, New York. DiFante has a history of working with mental illness initiatives and has plans to implement some in Pelham schools.

All commissioners were present for the meeting and welcomed back their fellow commissioner Mike Vest, who had missed the previous meeting in August due to injuries sustained from a bike riding accident at Oak Mountain State Park.