Cole County Commission holds first meeting to discuss 2023 budget
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Cole County Commission held the first of many meetings Tuesday to review and decide on budgets for departments within the county.
Department heads proposed their budgets at the meeting. This week is just the initial judgements of the budgets. Next week is when the commission will start to cut or increase certain departments' budgets.
"Right now, our auditor has put together an initial plan we review," Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman said. "Next week will be longer days with more focus on the budgets and where money will be going."
According to Bushman, things have been going well so far. Tomorrow, the Cole County Sheriff will go in front of the commission.
"That's going to be a long one, since the department is so big," Bushman said. "We want to give that department pay increases. We have seen officers leaving Cole County to pursue jobs elsewhere with better pay."
Along with the increase of pay within the sheriff's department, the commission would like to add a 4% pay increase for all county employees.
Eric Hoy, chief of Cole County EMS, will be going in front of the commission on Wednesday. According to Hoy, the EMS budget is actually two individual budgets.
"One is an operating cost, the other is a capital cost," Hoy said.
Cole County EMS is asking for $2.9 million for their capital cost. This includes things like upgrading equipment like ambulances and finishing construction on other stations. An operating cost encapsulates all costs related to actual operations. These things include salaries and prices for medical treatment equipment.
There will be no growth in budget for operating costs, and Hoy is planning to ask for a flat number. This number will be roughly more than $7 million. The operating cost request this year is roughly $80,000 less than last year.
"These requests for the budget are meant to help the people of Cole County," Hoy said. "We want to be the best equipped to treat the people in this county."
After cuts or increases to budgets are made, the auditor will make a final budget and the commission will need to approve it.
This must be done by January 2023.
