Cole County recommended 2017 budget includes boost in public safety funds

Cole County may have a larger budget next year.

This week, County Auditor Kristen Berhorst presented commissioners with a 2017 Fiscal Year Budget of more than $74.9 million.

The recommendation included nearly $15.1 million for public safety activities. That is nearly $760,000 more than the current fiscal year’s budget.

The recommended increase in public safety was largely due to the addition of multiple employees in the sheriff’s office and emergency medical services, or EMS.

Presiding Cole County Commissioner Sam Bushman told ABC 17 News the agencies have proved the need for more employees.

“EMS and sheriff’s department are both 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year operations,” Bushman said. “If you don’t have the people you got to pay overtime, but we need the people.”

ABC 17 News reported, commissioners approved adding three jailers and a detective to the sheriff’s office in the middle of the current budget year.

The county is also in the midst of reorganizing its ambulance service and may add more staffing.

“We’ve got one of the best in the state, and we want to make it the best in the state,” Bushman said. “So we’re in the process of getting a new director and we’ve brought in some specialists from Texas and they’re helping us reorganize.”

The recommended budget also included $9.2 million in infrastructure projects.

It also proposed a one percent cost of living allowance increase for all county employees.

The report said overall tax revenue was projected to increase by about $1.2 million in 2017.

Commissioners will work on finalizing the budget through the end of 2016. They must hold a public hearing and adopt the budget by Jan. 10.