CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY GIVES NOD TO 2001 BUDGET

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County's road deputies will receive 10.5 percent pay raises, and other county employees will garner 7 percent raises under a 2001 budget the county commission approved on Thursday.

Officeholders will receive 3.5 percent pay raises as called for in the county's annual pay plan.

Sheriff John Jordan fought for higher salaries for his road deputies this fall, sparking a dispute with county commissioners who felt he shouldn't have gone public with the issue.

The pay raises are part of a $12.6 million budget that could total more than $14 million. Final calculations won't occur until January, officials said.

The budget includes $5.67 million in salaries and benefits for the county's 165 employees.

With a budget of $2.66 million, the sheriff's department and county jail operations constitute the single biggest expense. Of that amount, $1.78 million is earmarked for salaries and benefits.

The budget earmarks $60,867 for the operation of the county's new archives center in Jackson, $100,000 for aerial mapping of the county for the assessor's office, $209,527 to subsidize the Cape County Private Ambulance Service and $250,000 for new road equipment.

Commissioners said they raised the salaries of county employees by moving them up the salary schedule in an effort to keep its best workers and provide competitive pay.

"As in all cases, we certainly don't want to lose good employees," said Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones. "We don't want jerks. We want very professional people."

Jones' comments came during a budget hearing immediately prior to the commission vote.

Only one county resident attended the hearing. The resident, Glen McBride, asked about pay raises for deputies. One of those deputies is McBride's son, Jordan said hours after the hearing.

Starting salary boosted

County Auditor H. Weldon Macke said the pay raise for road deputies will boost the starting salary of road deputies to at least $21,655. Starting pay could be as high as $22,399 in the case of more experienced applicants, Macke said.

In October, the sheriff asked the commission to hike deputies' salaries in an effort to retain officers. Jordan said at the time that deputies' starting salaries ranged from $19,572 to $20,936. He said those salaries weren't competitive with other area law enforcement agencies.

Macke said the pay hike will put deputies' salaries near the level paid Jackson police officers, but added that the county can't compete with the salaries paid Cape Girardeau police officers.

Jordan welcomed the commission's action.

"I think it is a step in the right direction," he said.

Jordan was encouraged by the commission's intent to have competitive salaries.

The budget still could face revisions, Jordan and county commissioners said.

Jordan said many county officeholders only received copies of the budget this week. Thursday's public hearing on the budget came even before some officeholders had time to review the budget.

The pay raises will come in two stages for all county employees. The annual 3.5 percent pay raise will take effect Jan. 1 The remainder of the pay raise will take place on each employee's hiring anniversary.

The commission approved the budget while acknowledging it isn't complete. The capital improvements budget won't be finalized until January, said Macke, the county's chief budget officer.

Below 2000 budget

The new budget is expected to fall short of the 2000 budget of $20 million.

That budget projected spending $10 million for general operations, $2.1 million on roads and bridges and $7.5 million on building projects, primarily the new jail.

The 2001 budget proposes spending $10.1 million on general operations and another $2.5 million on road and bridge operations.

The capital improvements budget still has to be worked out, but Macke estimated it could total about $2 million. If that is the case, the total budget would add up to about $14.6 million, nearly $6 million less than was budgeted for 2000.

"It is going to be a little tight," Macke said of the new budget, but the budget doesn't reflect the $5 million the county keeps in its reserve fund.

That money is set aside for use only in emergencies, he said.

Commissioner Larry Bock said building projects have had a major impact on the county budget.

"We've kind of depleted our capital account," he said.

Macke said the county expects to spend more in the coming year for the public administrator and coroner's offices, both of which will be run by new officeholders.

The county is waiting for the governor to appoint a new coroner to fill the vacancy created by the death of John Carpenter. The new public administrator, Phyllis Schwab, takes office the first of the year.

CAPE COUNTY 2001 BUDGET

Money for general operations

* $2.65 million from taxes on real estate, personal property, railroads and utilities

* $2.68 million in sales tax revenue (amount remaining after the county uses half of the estimated $5.35 million in sales tax money to lower property taxes as required by law).

* $3.44 million from fees and other revenue

* Beginning balance on Jan. 1 of $1.45 million

Available for spending: $10.21 million

Total budgeted: $10.17 million

Money for road and bridge operations

* $956,453 from local taxes

* $1.11 million from state aid, fees and other sources

* Beginning balance on Jan. 1 of $502,473

Available for spending: $2.57 million

Total budgeted: $2.54 million

Source: Cape Girardeau County auditor's office