Leah Ingram Eagle
Based on a strong first five months of Fiscal Year 2022, the Shelby County Commission approved a budget amended for significant long-term capital initiatives and personnel actions.
We based this revenue cycle on FY19 numbers,” County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “We took these changes and in the first five months [of FY22], and in sales tax alone, we are $2.5 million ahead of budget. We are still projecting a $1.7 million contribution to the fund balance reserve at the end of the year. This allows us to finish out this year doing many things.”
Provisions will include
- Partnering projects and grant matches for partnering with Shelby County municipalities and Oak Mountain State Park to increase and improve recreational opportunities within the county.
- Using general fund revenues over original FY22 budget projection to retire a loan in promotional/lodging tax estimated at $2.1 million and eliminating interest of over $180,000.
Scroggins said when he started in his position two years ago, the loan was at $6 million, and is down to $2.4 million, “This would use those general fund revenues we’ve already experienced to pay off that loan,” he said. “This is a significant thing. It eliminates a large stressor for us and gives us powder in the keg to do a lot of great things. We have the cash in hand. It makes no sense to pay out $180,000 in interest over the next few years.”
- Completion of tourism projects with revenues over original FY22 projection
- The addition of four full-time county employees including a probate generalist in the Probate Office; an events coordinator for tourism and events; a landfill equipment operator and a general government-senior manager for juvenile EMA and safety programs management.
A civil service policy and procedure revision and updates were also approved by the council. The original manual originated in 1993 and includes some much needed modifications.
“We have developed 18 different changes that have been brought upon by different levels of management,” Scroggins said. “We’ve basically listened to our employees to try to understand how we can better manage our system.”
The items included:
- Establishing a safety committee of employees
- Extending employee probationary period extended from 6 months to 12 months
- Workplace violence policy
- Nepotism policy
- Personal appearance and dress code policy
- Acceptable use policy
- Addition of parents to sick leave policy
- Change in job titles
- Change in job title reporting (manager juvenile court and probation services will report to county manager)
- Increase in longevity pay
- Process changes for email
- Absence without leave
- Annual and sick leave expressed in hours instead of days
- Emergency OT provision and personal leave day
- Eligibility list duration decreased from two years to one year
- Merit evaluations sync up to a common date
- Removed position tables on physical exams and safety sensitive jobs
- Updated EAP
“A lot of work has gone into this. We have reviewed this with the property tax commissioner, the sheriff, the probate judge to make sure everybody was on board,” county manager Chad Scroggins said. “We run up against situations all the time and this helps us manage our very large staff. We have a meeting set with your supervisors and managers to meet with them and update them on these new changes and I think they’ll be very happy.”
The commission also approved for ALDOT to close AL-25 in the Sterrett/Vandiver area for repair of a landslide. Traffic will be rerouted onto CR-41 and CR-43 as a detour while the repairs are completed. County Engineer Randy Cole said that unfortunately that will mean some truck traffic, but the good news is the project, which is set to begin April 1, should only last a month.
Other items approved at the meeting:
- Purchase of stand alone metal kiosk for $3,335 for locations in Columbiana and Pelham
- Security and electronic system maintenance services at the Shelby County Jail and the Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center to Unique Security for $44,150