County Manager Warren Cabe presented a proposed budget of $64,711,599 that maintains the current property tax rate of .27 per $100 property value.
During the Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting on May 13, Cabe said the budget would be slightly larger than the current year’s $63.7 million budget because of increases in property value. Macon County Schools will receive $13,579,076, or 21% of the overall budget.
Service rates will remain mostly the same except for Emergency Medical Services, which must increase in line with state recommendations. County employees will see a 3% cost of living adjustment and no changes to the present pay plan. Health insurance rates would not increase for county employees.
Cabe said he was able to find space for four of the 17 positions requested by county services. Two sheriff’s deputies, one Department of Social Services worker and one part-time student resource officer would be hired under the proposal. Cabe said all these positions were covered in part or in whole by state or federal funds.
Positions that were not filled in the budget include five full-time emergency medical technicians, one full-time transit dispatcher, two animal shelter attendants, one part-time and one full-time reclassification, one full-time code enforcement officer, two part-time firefighters and two full-time Social Service positions.
Cabe noted that the county is due for a salary study, a comprehensive examination of benefits packages in relation to the packages of neighboring counties, to see where Macon’s services are losing employees and what adjustments might be necessary to improve recruitment and retention. The last salary study to take place was implemented on Nov. 8, 2021.
“I believe this is a fiscally responsible budget proposal that efficiently utilizes our available funding to meet as many of the needs of our citizens and visitors as possible without excessive burdens being placed upon our taxpayers,” Cabe said.
The commissioners will hold a budget work session at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 22.