News

Move to trim county budget fails short, 8-3

By ARCHIE MOUNTAIN
NEWPORT — The fiscal year 2019 Sullivan County budget was approved on an 8-3 vote at an hour-long meeting of the County Convention Tuesday night in Newport.

The budget calls for spending of $33,210,127, up $1,190,838 over the 2018 appropriation.

Revenues to be raised by property taxes came in at $13,691,212, up $216,959 or 1.61 percent.

Non-property tax revenue is projected to reach $16,888,915, up $964,257. Fund balance used for capital projects or capital reserves is $1,110,000 leaving $221,000 to be transferred to capital reserves.

During the budgeting process, a fund balance of $1,520,000 was used to reduce the tax rate.

Rep. Steve Smith of Charlestown proposed an amendment to utilize money from the county’s fund balance and reduce the tax impact to zero failed on a 7-4 vote.

A second proposed amendment by Rep. Francis Gauthier of Claremont to reduce the $1 million request to cover the design work for anticipated building improvements at the Sullivan County Health Center by $500,000 also failed on an 8-3 vote. Gauthier, Smith and Newport Rep. Skip Rollins backed the amendment.

“There are times when the utmost frugality is not always possible,” said Rep. James Grenier of Lempster.

“One million is extremely high,” said Gauthier who supported $300,000 or $400,000 as a more reasonable appropriation.

Newport Rep. Virginia Irwin told the board members that $1 to design a $24 million project is not out of line and is not a hard and fast number.

“It is inefficient to get a plan for part of it at one time and the other part at another time,” stated Sunapee Rep. Sue Gottling.

Rep. Ray Gagnon, Claremont, said Gauthier had not attended meetings on the issue and his 11th hour second guess was inappropriate.

When asked, County Manager Derek Ferland estimated Sullivan County would have a fund balance of between $4 million and $4.5 million at the end of the upcoming fiscal year.

Highlights in the 2019 budget include $842,048 taxpayer support for Sullivan County Health Care, a $167,000 decrease from 2018; $1 million, Stearns/Sanders renovation design (from fund balance)’ $600,000, capital expenses now built into budget each year and $500,000 CDBG for Goddard Block housing project.

Also, $14,000 for USDA grant for Root Cellar development (pending approval); grant will study feasibility of cheese/mushroom cave; $12,000, CDBG feasibility study for Transitional Housing facility; $75,000, new revenue from Biomass T-Recs and Trails partnerships; $46,500, continue regional outreach efforts, website redesign, county “welcome” signage, branding consultant, and $29,760, continue wellness program started last year, healthcare premiums decreased 4.3 percent, about $100,000 savings.

Capital projects totaling $600,000 in the budget include DOC cell lock replacement, $90,000; DOC design OBS/Med Unit renovation, $30,000; DOC steam pipe retrofit for dryers, $30,000; Sheriff office expansion, renovation, $70,000 and Woodhull carpet replacement, $30,000.

And, Woodhull heat pump replacement, $30,000; Unity campus asbestos survey, $35,000; Unity campus steam trap survey, $25,000; Stearns elevator controls replacement, $39,000; transfer to capital reserves, $221,000.

County grants to community organizations include turning Points Network, $65,000; Southwestern Community Services, $50,000; TLC Family Resource Center, $35,000; Claremont Soup Kitchen, $25,000; Fall Mountain Food Shelf, $10,000; Lake Sunapee Area Mediation, $10,000; West Central Behavioral Health, $10,000 and Sullivan County Servicelink, $35,000.

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