Informational meeting on budgets held
County offices told to 'tighten belts'
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

In a first meeting of its kind to take place in the county, Ripley County Council members provided facts and figures to the office holders and their staffs gathered Monday, September 27, in the Commissioners Room of the County Annex.

With every seat filled and the overflow standing against the wall, Council Members Donald Dunbar, Ed Armbrecht, William Dramann, David Simon, Lawrence Nickell, and Dephane Smith gave a clear picture of the financial problems that could take place by 2007.

"Based on the current numbers," said Council Member Armbrecht, " we won't be able to fund the '07 budget. By 2008 we would be a million dollars in the hole."

Armbrecht reminded the office holders that if the county has to send a budget that has a red number, the state will "simply make reductions. In the event that we overspent, the state would take over and we would be a controlled county."

Council members agreed that the problem facing the county is the County General Fund. "This is a very serious problem, and we could even have to cut employees."

Noting that the 2005 and 2006 budgets are not in jeopardy, Armbrecht said, "It's not that we can't overcome this, but we need to work on cutting our budgets. Every penny you can save, gives us more time to find a solution."

President Dunbar agreed that the county must "bite the bullet in the future."

"It's hard...it's going to be tougher and tougher," added Armbrecht. "I think this is something that we need to work on in the next couple of years. Otherwise, we will be in serious trouble. We just can't spend money we don't have."

Several office holders asked questions, expressed opinions, and gave suggestions - all in a positive way.

County Clerk Ginger Bradford asked, "If we are in such a bad finan
cial condition, why did you give raises?"

Armbrecht answered, "We felt the employees deserved these raises. We've got three years to take care of this. Knowing you have a problem and have a plan to take care of that problem is what we want to do."

Among his comments, Extension Agent David Osborne asked, "Why don't you give us a goal? In our department we have had a flat budget for the past eight years."

To his question, Armbrecht re
sponded that it wouldn't be possible to give a goal that could apply to all the offices. He added that the problem won't happen next year, nor in 2006. "The next year - 2007 - is the year we're going to be in trouble."

Others who spoke during the hour-long meeting included Technology Coordinator Kelly Vollet, County Treasurer Earline Copeland, County Recorder Tammy Borgman, Service Officer Andy Bryant, Superior Court Judge Jim Morris, Commissioner John Little, and Council Members Nickell and Smith.

One step the council is taking, according to Armbrecht, is the organizing of a Finance Committee, which will include representatives from council, commissioners, and office holders.

The council also expects that during the establishing of the 2006 budget they will meet individually with each department that is setting up a budget. The process may take longer, council members noted, but it will be more efficient and cooperative.

In thanking everyone for coming,
Armbrecht concluded, "We do have a chance to get out of this by watching what we do the next three years. Seventy or eighty counties are facing the same thing, some of them worse off than we are. This meeting was to inform you of where we are and what we need to do to work toward solving the problem"

MARY MARGARET MOORHEAD PHOTO

Ripley County office holders, departments, and employees meet in the Commissioners Room of the County Annex on Monday, September 27, to hear a first-ever explanation of the financial picture of the county for the next three to four years. Council Member Ed Armbrecht had suggested the informational meeting and prepared facts and figures to illustrate the county's situation.