SNOW HILL – Preliminary cuts made by the county’s finance team simplified this week’s budget work session for the Worcester County Commissioners.
In spite of the $6.6 million deficit facing officials at the start of the budget process, county staff presented the commissioners with a balanced budget this week that spends approximately $199 million. A committee made up of Chief Administrative Officer Harold Higgins, Budget Officer Kathy Whited and Finance Officer Phil Thompson spent the past several weeks adjusting the county’s proposed spending plan.
“To the defense of the department heads, we really grilled them,” Higgins said. “The finance team did not take the task lightly.”
Because of the committee’s work reducing the proposed fiscal year 2018 spending plan, the commissioners spent Tuesday’s work session reviewing and adjusting the committee’s changes. While much of the discussion focused on the county’s contributions to area nonprofits, new employees requested by the county’s department heads were also a hot topic. The commissioners approved funding for just one of the three new deputies requested by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. They opted not to include funding for any of the four part-time court deputies requested by the sheriff’s office.
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One thing that should be looked at on the state and local level is the use of taxpayer paid cell phones for personal calls and personal texts by employees daily.The taxpayers are paying for all these personal texts so we should be able to see a monthly list of calls and texts made by employee cell phones.All the counties say you can see everything we spend your tax dollars on our website.How about start making these records transparent too.
ReplyDeleteBob please look at the records for rec and parks department supervisors with county payed iphone I think the amount of personal text would be staggering. You may also be surprised of the content.
DeleteBet Wicomico County won't see any employee raises.
ReplyDeleteHow can Worcester County's budget be at $199M while Wicomico County's budget is stuck at $145M?
ReplyDeleteJust think if we could see all the texts from county employees to their wifeys there secret wives and just about anything else. Good point. Needs to be looked into if taxpayers are paying for it.
ReplyDeleteWith the new budget coming soon how about if department heads explain to the council why all these people need taxpayer supplied cell phones. I bet the amount of phones could be cut by 1/3 or more.
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