COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County of Commissioners gave final approval to a 2018 General Fund budget Tuesday that is slightly less than the 2017 spending plan.
The 2018 budget is over $13,285,000 which is less than the 2017 budget of over $13.4 million.
To help balance the budget, County Administrator Bud Norman presented Commissioners with five options last month. A plan which would include a Stabilization Fund was favored by Commissioners.
It basically encouraged departments to maintain their 2017 budgets which meant no new employees. In turn, 2018 critical needs would be addressed throughout the year with a Stabilization Fund instead of using Contingencies and Capital Outlays.
Meanwhile, the $38.9 million Special Fund Budget for 2018 was also passed. It was higher than the 2017 budget of $38.1 million.
In other action during their final meeting of 2017, the Commissioners formally approved a request from Probate Court to hire a referee/administrator for Juvenile Court at a salary to be determined at a later date. Whoever is ever hired would replace John Howard who is scheduled to retire in February.
They also formally approved a request from Sheriff John Pollack to transfer $8,000 from overtime to training so that a corrections officer can receive training to be road certified. The officer would fill a position which is being vacated by the April retirement of a Senior Road Supervisor.
