County passes first reading of new budget; discusses if county library building fund money can be used for new Corbin Library

Money was a primary topic of conversation during Thursday’s monthly Whitley County Fiscal Court meeting with magistrates approving rates for the county’s new health insurance plan, approval of the first reading of the fiscal court’s 2010-2011 budget, and discussion of the Whitley County Public Library’s budget.

Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. said that it initially appeared that the county would be facing a 42 percent increase in what it pays for employee health insurance, but that through negotiations and sifting through different plans, the county was able to decrease this amount.

This current fiscal year, which ends June 30, the fiscal court is paying $427 a month per employee, who receives health insurance. This is roughly 112 people per month. The fiscal court pays the total cost of the individual plan, but each employee pays if they add spouses or family members.

The first quote that the county received had coverage increasing to $610 per month, but the county was eventually able to get a plan through Bluegrass Family Health that will have it paying $496 per employee each month.

The deductible per employee will increase from $500 per person to $2,500. The maximum out of pocket expenses will drop to $2,500 annually for in network expenses and $5,000 for out of network expenses. It had been $3,000 for out of pocket expense.

The nearly $14.3 million fiscal court budget includes $5,000 in funding for every volunteer fire department in Whitley County, $18,000 in funding for senior citizens centers that is split between Corbin and Williamsburg, and $30,000 in annual funding for the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter.

White said that the new budget is roughly the same it was this fiscal year.

White noted that the fiscal court now only has two liabilities that it is currently paying out of the general fund compared to six or seven that it was paying when he first took office.

$486,940 goes toward bond payments on the detention center, and $44,500 towards the old post office project.
In addition, the budget allocates $870,000 to pay for construction of the county’s new ambulance base, which will have its grand opening on June 10 at 6 p.m.

The second reading of the budget will take place next month.

The fiscal court also discussed the Whitley County Public Library’s annual budget, which it must approve each year.
Magistrate David Myers, who represents the second district in northern Whitley County, noted the library’s budget has $1,030,000 set aside for future building needs, which isn’t being used.

He also noted that the Corbin Public Library is currently undergoing an expansion and is in need of additional funds. He questioned whether the Whitley County Public Library’s board could use any of its building funds towards Corbin’s expansion.

The fiscal court postponed approval of the budget until next month in order to give Myers more time to research the matter, and discussed it with the Whitley County Public Library Board of Directors.

In other business, the fiscal court:

¥ Approved budgets for the following agencies: Whitley County Tourism Board, Whitley County Public Health Taxing District, and Cumberland Falls Highway Water District.

¥ Accepted petitions to adopt Tanner Trail and Chandler Cemetery Road into the county road system, a petition to extend Lee Lane, and a petition to rename Bill Roark Road as Harris Road.