Tough cuts planned in order to balance Whitley County budget

Whitley County Judge-Executive Burley Foley laid out tentative plans for addressing the $400,000 plus deficit that the fiscal court accumulated during the first six months of the fiscal year, which includes selling off the old jail and other surplus land the county owns, filing suit against delinquent tax payers, and the strong possibility of layoffs.
“The plan is pretty simple. We have to reduce the services to match the revenues,” Foley said noting that the process won’t be easy. “There potentially could be major cuts. I am just trying to prepare the media as well as everyone else. It is not business as usual any more because we don’t have the revenue to do business as usual. I am going to be the bad guy. When there are bad things happen, point to me. There is no quick fix.”
Foley said layoffs are a last resort, but cautioned “I can’t promise there won’t be any.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, the fiscal court declared the old jail, properties on Piney Grove Church Road and Kentucky Hill, and three tracts of land on Ky. 92 that total about 100 acres as surplus property, and to sell the land either through sealed bid or public auction.
Foley said an appraisal would be set for the properties, and a minimum price set for the land prior to it being sold. For instance, he said the county wouldn’t sell the old jail for a $100 bid.
Foley said he plans to present a formal plan for the fiscal court’s review and possible approval at next month’s meeting, or perhaps during a special called meeting, but he outlined the proposal Tuesday morning.
Foley said he has instructed Whitley County Attorney Paul Winchester to file suit against those that owe back taxes.
“If you owe us tax, we are going to come collect it and file suit. I don’t think it is fair for us to pass an occupational tax, and turn right around and allow people not to pay their taxes in Whitley County,” Foley said. “I promise you, we will have teeth in collecting our taxes.”
Since taking office Jan. 1, Foley said he has met with each department head, and asked him or her to come up with a proposal to trim their budget.
One thing Foley asked each department head to do was address the issue of overtime.
Last year the county racked up over $300,000 in overtime pay, Foley said noting that is a conservative estimate. For instance, he noted that Whitley County EMS Director Kelly Harrison had reduced her departments overtime to eight hours during the last pay period.
Another area where the county is looking to save money is through renegotiating contracts.
Vicky Shaw, an employee in Foley’s office, recently renegotiated the county’s cell phone contract saving $900 a month in expenses.
“We are scrutinizing every cent that comes through here,” Foley said.
Foley said his plan is to have the county back in the black by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. “I would like to do it the easy way, but there is no easy way to do that,” he said.
He added that there are several reasons for the deficits the county has faced over the last two years. Foley said that since he first took office as a magistrate in 1994, several county expenses have gone up, such as gas prices, and insurance premiums, which have gone up $343,000 since then.
“Since that time, our revenues have not grown in relation to expenses,” he noted.
In the three months or so the jail was closed last year, the county racked up $297,000 in expenditures.