County commissioners weigh budget requests

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Larimer County Commissioners will likely restore two programs and some services when the board adopts the 2005 budget on Dec. 17. Funds to pay for them are targeted to come from cutting merit pay increases by another 1 percent.

In flush years, commissioners were giving 5 percent merit increases to employees who qualified. The proposed budget released in October had set merit pay at 3 percent. It may be further cut to 2 percent to make an additional $146,586 available to balance the budget.

Benefiting from the proposed change are the senior property tax work off program, the victim/witness advocate program that operates through the sheriff's department, veteran's services and road and bridge construction.

Commissioners have scheduled another budget discussion with the county manager and budget director on Dec. 2 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

At a Nov. 15 public hearing, several volunteers from the victim response team encouraged commissioners to restore the program's funding of $60,440. Advocates clocked 800 volunteer hours last year, coordinator Joanne Rupert told the commissioners. Assistant coordinator Erin Heinrich added that without the volunteers, sheriff's deputies would have to work overtime to do the same state-mandated task.

The commissioners also received criticism of the plan to further cut merit pay. Deputy Brad Harkin said he thinks employees will leave as a result, and it will cost more to replace them. The action would "balance the budget on the backs of employees," he said, urging the commissioners to reconsider.

During an explanation of the proposed spending plan, budget director Bob Keister noted that some employees will receive market adjustments to their salaries, in addition to merit increases. Market adjustments range from zero to 5 percent. Larimer County employs 1,460 people full time or part time.

Other citizens at the budget hearing advocated for continued funding for programs that benefit children. The proposed budget continues funding levels at the same rate as this year.

Evelyn King, a member of the Larimer County 4-H Foundation, asked commissioners to restore $20,715 to Cooperative Extension programs to keep 4-H youth "doing good things." King noted that the foundation, families and 4-H members themselves contribute substantially to the program.

One program will see a substantial boost in funding as the county tries to make more room available in the detention center without expanding the facility. The pretrial release services budget will triple to $711,717. Clients fees will cover about $50,000, but the county general fund will have to kick in $661,717.

County manager Frank Lancaster said hiring more staff for pretrial services is intended to move arrested suspects through the justice system more quickly. A recent county study indicated the change would save 80 jail beds, Lancaster said. It costs the county $66 a day to hold a person in jail. The extra cost for pretrial services is expected to be offset by savings at the jail.

The county is also committing to spend $865,000 over the next several years on a rural street addressing project intended to give each property a unique address. Duplicate road names will be eliminated.

What has been described as a tough process has resulted in a $238 million budget proposal for the county. It reflects a 5.4 percent decrease over 2004's final budget, but county budgets usually increase throughout the year as department's receive grants for special projects and other revenues become available.