MOUNT VERNON — Of the $21.7 million estimated revenue for 2022, the Knox County Board of Commissioners appropriated $20.457 million. For 2021, the commissioners appropriated $18.838 million.
Following a more than five-year trend, the justice system once again accounts for the largest spending category at $9.24 million. Comprising 45% of the general fund budget, justice services include the courts, public defender and prosecutor offices, sheriff’s office, and county jail.
“That doesn’t seem to be slowing down,” County Administrator Jason Booth said.
“That’s increased even though the state is giving more in reimbursement with the public defender,” added Commissioner Thom Collier.
The budget includes $75,000 for community support, $40,000 of which will be a community match for state funding for Knox Area Transit. The ag museum also gets a bit more money for building repairs to make the building available to other organizations.
The 2022 appropriations include about $1.3 million in extra money to cover upcoming projects or personnel in several departments:
•$50,000 to the Knox County Prosecutor’s Office to cover the cost of hiring another attorney. One attorney left and the position is posted. “Hopefully, he’s able to find another attorney, and if so, the money is there,” Booth said.
•$250,000 for the data board to research and purchase a new payroll system for the auditor’s office. According to Booth, the current payroll system is at end-of-life in terms of support. The goal is to find a system that includes payroll and finance packages.
•$40,000 to the juvenile court to cover the cost of a transportation officer
•$50,000 to the Knox County Board of Elections since 2022 is a gubernatorial primary and general election
•$228,000 to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to cover the cost of inflation in inmate care, nurses, and a 3% raise for union personnel.
•$75,000 to the Emergency Management Agency to cover the full-year impact of salaries, benefits, and other expenses. The EMA came under the Board of County Commissioners’ oversight in the spring of 2021.
•$532,000 to Job & Family Services to cover $32,000 in increased state mandates. The other $500,000 is for children services since voters did not pass the children services levy.
On the revenue side, projected revenue is up by $2.5 million compared to 2021. Booth said he and the commissioners are aware of the risks to the income.
“The sales tax now represents 50% of our income, so it’s good it’s up,” he said. “But it’s the most volatile, and it now makes up half of our revenue.”
The second risk is inflation. Booth said costs are projected to be 30% higher than previous.
“The sales tax is up because of inflation, but we are also seeing an increase in costs. We don’t get it on the revenue side without getting it on the expense side, too.
“The half million that we budgeted for children services likely will not be enough, so that’s another potential risk to the budget,” he added. “We do have some opioid money coming, and I think we might put some of that toward children services.”
“Unlike the federal government, we do not have a printing press, so whatever we have, we have to stay within that amount,” Commissioner Thom Collier said.
“We know what can happen, so we have to be aware of that and plan for the future,” Bemiller said.
Commissioner Bill Pursel said the county did get some good news in the insurance arena, noting that costs remained stable.
The commissioners once again set aside $350,000 in contingency money and plan to pay for small-to-medium projects without adding debt. The $246,000 in debt service is down from last year’s $350,000.
“That’s the lowest in 20 years or longer,” Collier said.
“Community partnerships have really helped,” Bemiller said.
The commissioners plan to release the 2022 non-general fund budget in January.
