Richland Council members question administrator’s recommended budget

Next year’s recommended budget for Richland County would give elected officials what they requested but has triggered questions on County Council about money for other agencies.

Council has the final word on funding for countywide elected officials, such as the sheriff and the prosecutor’s office, as well as for schools and all other county agencies.

Councilmen Chip Jackson, Greg Pearce and Bill Malinowski led a discussion Tuesday about county administrator Gerald Seals’ proposed $164 million general fund budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

That budget reflects a $3.5 million increase over the year that ends June 30. The budget is enlarged by new residents paying taxes and other growth in the county. In his overall balanced budget, Seals recommended the amounts that countywide elected officials requested. That means other county agencies face cuts.

“I did what they asked me to do,” Seals told council about requests from elected officials. “Out staff did not engage in attempting to cut their budgets.” Deciding how much all county government offices get is up to council, not staffers, he said.

Jackson in particular pointedly asked Seals if that approach was fair.

“That’s the equity problem I’m having,” the newly elected councilman said. “Why did we say to others, there will be no consideration” for budget increases?

Pearce, who said he likes that Seals proposed a balance budget, asked, “On those people who got the big increases, what were those increases for? And on the big hits, how are they going to accommodate that?”

Malinowski said that some agencies would receive “two to three times” more than the 3.5 percent increase cap that council had directed for the upcoming budget.

Seals also proposed no tax increases for schools and other departments that do not get their money from the general fund.

Richland 2 trustees have voted on a budget that would require a tax increase. Richland 1’s board was to vote on its budget Tuesday evening.

Council postponed to Tuesday having a full discussion about those budgets because members want more time to review the numbers.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Richland Council members question administrator’s recommended budget."