By Jessica Richardson
Staff Writer

At a budget meeting held Sunday, June 3, Macon County Board of Commissioners learned that there could be some potential downsides to taking a revenue- neutral budget. The commissioners decided to explore the idea of using a zero-based budget approach for the first time this year.

Commissioners were taken aback by news that the Fire Commission turned down a request by Cullasaja Volunteer Fire Department for a full time staff fire fighter, based on a recommendation by the commissioners to stay at a revenue-neutral budget.

The Fire Commission is comprised of 10 fire district chiefs and Emergency Services Director Warren Cabe. Fire departments, unlike other county departments, solely rely on the tax revenues from their districts for their budget.

Vice Chair Ronnie Beale brought the concern to the table, adding that the department recently acquired $2 million in equipment and cover one of the largest areas for a district. Other departments already have a fulltime person on staff, which also cuts down the response time. “If this is a result of (revenue-neutral) I guess we’re missing something,” said Beale.

“I’ve advocated for four years not to do this year under revenue-neutral. Several departments want to do expansions,” said Commissioner Bob Simpson, about the fire departments.

Commissioner Brian McClellan asked if the commission could have recommended that the board approve the funding for the full-time position. Greenwood confirmed that it was an option, but that they were informed to stay at revenue- neutral.

A Fire Commission meeting was held Tuesday night to review the budgets for the fire district and support an additional staff member for Cullasaja.

Commissioner Jim Davis pointed out that the services that the volunteer fire departments provide are “one of the best bargains you can get in this county.”

With a similar concern for safety, the board discussed the sheriff’s department’s request to budget for an addition of four staff members and to continue funding an attorney for the department. Simpson raised concern about the overall increase of the budget, claiming that it doesn’t comply with the request for revenue-neutral. He claimed that it was unfair to other departments for the sheriff’s department to ask for an increase. There was some disagreement about the amount of the increase, with both Davis and McClellan claiming that it was about 2%.

Sheriff Robert Holland requested funding for an additional four deputies, two of which would be covered in the recommended budget. Commissioners agreed that the additional two deputies are necessary for the safety of the county. The question that arose was where will the money come from?

“I know they need more deputies, if just to serve Nantahala,” said Beale.

Simpson doubted that an attorney for the sheriff’s department was as necessary as funding for two deputies. County Attorney Lesley Moxley said that she solely advises on civil matters, not criminal.

Holland said that what Simpon is overlooking is that the attorney’s position was already in the department and defended the need for the position. “My priorities are providing the best law enforcement policies and keeping deputies out of criminal and civil lawsuits as well,” said Holland.

When he took office Holland eliminated two of five administration positions and took on those additional responsibilities. The attorney provides legal advice, applies for grants, does statistics and assists in drafing policies.

McClellan said a lot of the shifting or reducing the budget can happen within the department, which Holland did to some degree by reducing the courthouse security portion of the budget.

“As it is now, with two road deputies, it still puts pressure on overtime projects,” said County Manager Sam Greenwood, noting that overtime pay, budgeted at $180,000 assumes that the department adds four additional deputies this year.

Davis, in search of a solution, posed the option of using a portion of the proposed 2% supplement for teachers, who will also likely receive a 4-5% supplement from the state.

“What if we do 1.5%?” asked Davis.

Chairman Charles Leatherman agreed on the need for the additional deputies and said as an elected official, he said that he would provide a supplement, but that the amount of the supplement wasn’t fixed. “School teachers are so appreciative about what we’ve done. We need deputies and I think teachers appreciate the job they do. I don’t think they would fuss too much if they understand it means protection,” said Leatherman.

Simpson seemed opposed to the idea. “It’s necessary,” he said about the supplement. “If you don’t educate, you build jails. N.C. is 48th in the country on teacher pay.”

Some discussion ensued about considering merit pay, but the idea didn’t carry. After the public hearing Monday, where several teachers came out in support of continuing the supplement, it’s likely reducing the supplement to pay for additional deputies would not be well received.

As County Manager Sam Greenwood explained, the zero-based process is more involved and lengthy than the current budget process. If the county went to zero-based budgeting, it would have to begin in September the prior year, as opposed to the current schedule of beginning in February. He also warned commissioners that the additional staff that would likely be necessary to proudice a zero-based budget every year could cancel out the money saved in a zero-based budget.

Without going into too much detail, he said that there are alternatives that combine aspects of zero-based budgeting. He said that it would not be beneficial to have zerobased budgeting for service departments, because their budgets are dependent on other departments. One alternative he suggested was consolidating programs.

In exploring the idea of Macon County going to a zero-based budget, Greenwood presented the budgets of the N.C. Co- Operative Extension Office and the Health Department that were both asked to do a zero-based budget this year.

“The primary benefit is to be able to look at departments and see that each breaks down to its mission priority,” said Greenwood. He pointed out that in many departments, like the Health Department and Extension Office, the state determines a lot of the funding priorities.

The detailed zero-based budgets revealed some overlap in the departments. Davis noted that a significant portion of the Extension Office’s budget goes to presentations about health and nutrition. “Why is it a component of their department and not the Health Department?” asked Davis. “My guess is that they are more qualified.” He said that one of the premises of Healthy Carolinians, based at the Health Department, was to eliminate overlap.

“Agencies sometimes morph to stay alive when their mission disappears,” said Greenwood, speaking more generally about overlap and how the missions of departments sometimes change.

Greenwood will retire this year and discussed several points that the commissioners should consider when hiring a new manager, such as being sure that they have a good handle on budgeting.