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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. DECEMBER 10. 2020
Finances in county in good shape for changeover, Jones says
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
In a budget hearing on the
proposed 2021 budget, only
one member of the public at
tended and no comments
were made regarding the
$29,027,352 spending plan.
The budget is scheduled
for approval on December
17 at 9:30 a.m. at the
county administration
building meeting room.
County Finance Director
Faye Harvey reminds the
public that a full line item de
tail of the FY 2021 budget is
available for review in the Fi
nance Department during
business hours.
Commission Chair Rob
Jones, in his last month in of
fice, told the county employ
ees and department heads in
attendance that he appreci
ated their work this year and
for the past 16 years he has
served.
“We haven’t agreed on
everything but we did it with
out coming to blows,” he
said.
Jones said for 2020, which
he noted with some under
statement had been “an odd
year,” they had tried to
“pinch pennies.”
This budget sets a good
stage for next year and he
wished [incoming commis
sion chair] Kris Stancil well.
Jones said the budget is
flexible so Stancil could
make changes, though road
paving projects, submitted to
the state DOT a year in ad
vance, would be difficult to
change.
“I am really excited for
Mr. Stancil,” Jones said. “I
think the adjustment will go
well. I have met with him
several times.” Stancil was in
Athens for required training
on the day of this meeting.
“The future looks good —
I hope,” Jones said. “I will let
you know after the first quar
ter of next year. I am con
cerned about the economy of
the nation and the state.”
Ending with a little
humor, Jones said he was ex
cited for his retirement “and
I am sure some of you are ex
cited for it, too.”
Responding to a question
by e-mail after the meeting,
the finance director explained
raises included in the 2021
budget, “Overall, the FY
2021 budget has a 3.88% in
crease in salaries and benefits
compared to the current FY
2020 budget. Most employ
ees received a 2.5% increase.
Some departments were able
to cut operational expenses
and keep their bottom line
budget under 2.5% increase
while offering employees 5%
increase.”
Harvey said she was not
aware of any employee re
ceiving more than a 5 percent
raise.
FY 2021 Revenues by Type and Source:
Coloring Contest
winner announced
31
32
33
34
35
36
38
39
Taxes
Licenses and Permits
Intergovernmental
Charges for Services
Fines and Forfeitures
Interest Income
Other Revenues
Transfers (E-911)
21,225,700
517,400
2,022,242
4,163,800
255,900
10,010
164,000
668,300
29,027,352
73%
2%
7%
14%
1%
0%
1%
2%
FY 2021 Expenditure Budget by Object Classification:
510000 Personal Services and Employee Benefits $ 19,783,922.00
520000 Purchased / Contracted Services $ 4,180,394.00
530000 General Supplies $ 2,569,607.00
540000 Capital Outlay $ 148,813.00
570000 Payments to Others / Intergovernmental $ 1,950,230.00
580000 Debt Service $ 394,386.00
$ 29,027,352
68%
14%
9%
1%
7%
1%
a 31 Taxes
H 32 Licenses and Permits
□ 33 Intergovernmental
□ 34 Charges for Services
a 35 Fines and Forfeitures
□ 36 Interest Income
□ 38 Other Revenues
□ 39 Transfers (E-911)
Pickens is “busy
as can be,” say
county employees
During the regular com
missioners’ work session
Thursday, department heads
and elected officials offered
year-end updates, most em
phasizing that despite
COVID, they have seen a
surge in activity in their op
erations.
• Paula Peace, the head of
the personnel department, re
ported they were continuing
with the same employee in
surance. Of the 304 county
employees eligible for inclu
sion, 253 continued with the
plan that saw only minor
changes for next year.
She also reported that the
insurance plan includes “a
fitness challenge” which
Marissa Mayfield, 10, is the winner of the Progress col
oring contest. She colored the kids page from the December
3rd paper and won an ice cream from Lollidrops. Congrat
ulations Marissa. See Kids Page 2B for this week’s contest.
THE OLD
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with a creative chef-driven
menu, a full cocktail bar,
our signature mules, and
features beer and wine
from Georgia.
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OLDMULEHOUSE.COM
2 North Main Street
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Open at I I a.m. Wed-Sun
closed Mon&Tues
0 510000 Personal Services and
Employee Benefits
■ 520000 Purchased / Contracted
Services
□ 530000 General Supplies
□ 540000 Capital Outlay
□ 570000 Payments to Others /
Intergovernmental
□ 580000 Debt Service
ended November 23 with 38
employees participating.
• Kenny Woodard, the di
rector of the recycling cen
ter/solid waste said their first
full month at Appalachian
Court saw 12,000 bags of
regular garbage dropped off;
600 large bags of garbage; 57
mattresses; 127 tires; 25 re
frigerators (both large and
small); 13 big screen televi
sions and 34 other pieces of
furniture. They generated
$18,000 in garbage dumping
fees and $3,300 off the recy-
clables.
Saturdays are the busiest
day, surpassing week days
with three or four times the
usage.
Commissioner Jerry
Barnes commended the new
operation, saying, “It was a
real neat setup” and he has
heard good comments from
the community.
• County employee John
Nicholson reported county
crews will begin demolishing
and cleaning up the former
recycling site on Camp Road
as soon as utilities are discon
nected.
• Recreation Department
Director Brian Jones reported
that basketball is foil steam
ahead. They are doing every
thing possible to comply with
COVID precautions includ
ing temperature checks, rec
ommendations but not
requirements for mask wear
ing among spectating parents
and spraying disinfectants
overnight and in breaks.
He said generally, family
groups sit together in the gym
when watching, but the gym
only has so much spectator
space.
Basketball among kids
may be going strong, but
pickleball, primarily played
by retirees, is not rebounding
and they only see a few play
ers for the formerly popidar
offering.
•Justin Kilgore, director of
planning and development,
said they were well ahead of
recent years at this point with
permits issued and revenue
generated in the department.
He said the revenue for all
different permits and other
services through his office
was up 66 percent this No
vember compared to last year
and 15 percent year-to-date
against 2019.
He said the only larger de
velopment in the works in the
unincorporated county is the
former Tate Reserve on Four
Mile Church Road is active
again, after being dormant
for many years. It was
planned for around 180 lots.
• Chief Tax Appraiser Roy
Dobbs reported everything
involving real estate “is busy
as can be.” Dobbs, who has
worked for county govern
ment for 30 years, said, “We
are probably seeing the most
activity we’ve ever seen.”
Dobbs said in followup
comments that the growth is
coming across the board in
land sales, home sales and in
construction on lots that have
been sitting for years.
Dobbs said his office, the
tax commissioner and clerk
of court have excellent soft-
ware/web services allowing
them to better serve cus
tomers and provide informa
tion at any time to people
anywhere.
• Clerk of Court Jennifer
Jordan said their office “had
n’t slowed down a bit” during
the COVID year and due to
e-filing, they have actually
seen their revenue grow
$503,000 over last year. She
said this was also tied to the
real estate boom.
In a followup e-mail Jor
dan wrote, “The biggest in
crease is the booming real
estate and refinancing. Being
able to e-file them kept them
moving and not having to
wait to file. Though we were
open and were accepting fil
ings at the window, most
people did not venture out to
file during the shut down.
Being able to file the liens,
real estate and mandatory
civil e-filing along with all
the accessibility of the office
from outside made us be able
to continue to bring in a con
siderable amount of rev
enue.”
• Tax Commissioner
Daniel Reeves said the
county is coming to the end
of the tax-paying period but
he won’t know where the
county stands in
collections/unpaid until the
very end. Mortgage compa
nies paying the taxes of prop
erties with escrow accounts,
do so the last week possible.
Reeves said they tend to
“wait until the 11th hour” and
this is the majority of the
homes in the tax digest, so it
will be near the end of the
year before he can give a
solid total.
• County Marshal Jim
Harvey said they would
begin working on delinquent
mobile home permit fees
again in 2021. He said last
year they coiddn’t go after
many delinquent accounts
because of a software pro
gram instituted by the former
tax commissioner. The num
bers weren’t accurate in the
software used last year. “We
couldn’t write citations [with
inaccurate numbers],” he
said. “That would make us all
look foolish.”
Harvey commended
Reeves, who took office in
August after former Tax
Commissioner Darrin Satter
field resigned, for correcting
the problem.
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