Photo by Erin Nelson.
Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins and CFO Cheryl Naugher at the Shelby County Commission meeting.
The Shelby County Commission adopted the operating budget for Fiscal Year 2023 during their meeting on Sept. 12.
County Manager Chad Scroggins said there has probably been more hours and effort on this budget than any in his 20 years with the county.
“I appreciate all the staff members and all the accounting staff, Phil [Burns, Chief Operating Officer] and every one of our managers,” Scroggins said. "It's a tighter budget than you'd think because of so many changes, but we're looking forward to implementing it for our residents.”
The FY23 revenue projections are $166,610,288 compared to FY22 which was $150,524,786. While expenditure projections for FY23 were $186,955,184 compared to FY22 which was $150,435,358.
New positions in the FY23 budget include a Mental Health Services Coordinator that will coordinate service providers, contracts and grants to manage the delivery of mental health services by contractors to the justice involved participants in Shelby County and a part-time deputy coroner to assist with the workload of the Coroner's Office.
Some of the capital projects and special project and iInitiatives include:
- Support for School Resource Officers
- Major Distribution Water Main - Replacement of Existing line on Co Hwy 280
- Water Plant Connector- Talladega/Shelby and South Plant Connection
- Complete Construction MSW Cell Number 5 at Shelby County Landfill
- Design and Evaluation of Additional Pod at SCSO Jail
- Dunnavant Valley Greenway Phase 2 extension
- Veterans Park-Hoover on Valleydale-Pickleball courts
- Emergency Medical Services-Response Initiative
- Park Improvement Grants
- Environmental Improvement Projects - Recycling Initiative
Revenue projections for FY23 are $166,610,288, of which $108,909,356 is general fund total revenue and include:
- Highway department $19 million
- Water services $13 million
- Landfill $6 million
Expenditure projections for FY23 are $186 million. The commission will use $28 million of reserves to fund the jail expansion and the amount shows in both revenues and expenses in the budget summary.
"The main difference between the total revenue and expenses of $20 million on the budget summary is the ARPA funding received in prior years that will be spent in future years of $21 million," said Naugher.
- General government $30 million
- Public safety $39 million
- Health, welfare and recreation $4 million
- Capital improvements: $28 million for the jail expansion
- Water services: $20 million
Commissioner Lindsey Allison said in her 30 years of service, there have been some intense financial budget periods.
“We have a very difficult economic environment and we're trying to estimate how we can be good stewards with our taxpayers money,” Allison said. “I'm very appreciative of what the staff does to look out for our citizens.”
The commission approved to apply to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) for a grant to provide recreational trails in the new Double Oak Park. The grant would cover 80 percent of the project and the total proposal is estimated at $571,429 with the county providing a minimum of 20 percent.
Scroggins said he is excited for the Double Oak Park project to wrap up and that a ribbon cutting will be announced for October.
A lodging tax rebate was approved for the City of Chelsea's first hotel. The city will be receiving the rebate from the commission for the new LaQuinta Inn and Suites. The purpose of the tax rebate is to assist the city in payment of the economic development incentives to AU Chelsea Hospitality Group, LLC. The county will rebate a portion of the county’s lodging tax revenue derived from the hotel for a term of five business years.