COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – What is being called a balanced 2020 budget is scheduled to be formally adopted by the Branch County Board of Commissioners Thursday afternoon.
They voted to bring the budget adoption forward during their Tuesday afternoon work session.
Branch County Administrator Bud Norman said the budget came in at just under $13.7 million.
It includes two additional Sheriff’s Department Road Patrol deputies. That would bring the number of road deputies up to eight and allow the department to expand their service hours by adding one deputy to each of the 12 hour platoons.
Norman said the difference between expenditures and revenues came out to $762,933.56. Money to make up the difference will come out of the fund balance.
As part of the budget, non-union and elected employees other than the County Commissioners would get a two-and-a-half percent pay raise.
That would include employees moving out of the G.E.L.C. and into a non-union position. The budget may have to be amended at a later time as some union negotiations are still going on.
Norman said the commissioners budget focus was recruitment and retention of employees. To offset that in the budget, maintenance items would potentially be deferred next year and the county’s pension liability could possibly increase.
