By Jesse Wood
June 19, 2012. Commissioners adopted Watauga County’s 2012-2013 Fiscal Year $54.5 million budget on Tuesday, June 19. See more info on budget here; Little changed from the proposed budget. Changes of the adopted budget are below. Before the adoption of the budget, commissioners spoke at length regarding some motions for allocations regarding nonprofits that were not allocated in proposed budget. These were presented to the board by Commissioner Jim Deal.
Deal motioned to increase funding (from earlier’s proposed budget) for Watauga Humane Society from $78,000 to $125,000; Watauga Public Library from $495,000 to $546,000; Hospitality House from $0 to $11,000; Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce $0 to $4,000; Boone Area Chamber of Commerce $0 to $10,000; Community Care Clinic from $22,500 to $24,000.
In all of those mentioned motions, the Republican Commissioners Nathan Miller, Vince Gable and David Blust voted against the motions with Deal and Commissioner Tim Futrelle voting for the extra allocations. Miller maintained a stance he has held since he was voted into office; nonprofits need to be able to stand on their own two feet, he said.
In the only motion regarding the extra allocations, the Appalachian District Health Department did receive an increase of 5 percent that amounted to $27,056.
Adopted Changes from Proposed Budget:
Increases
Revenues
Cable TV Franchise Fees increase $10,000
Expenditures
Board of Elections increase travel and part time salaries $8,790
Board of Education increase current capital outlay $18,826
Recreation, Special Populations increase supplies and travel $850
Decreases
Expenditures
Special Allocations
decrease Children’s Playhouse $2,500
decrease WeCAN $1,000
Emergency Services
decrease cell allowance $576
Tax Administration
decrease salaries $6,000
General Administration
decrease Professional Services-Architects $7,540
decrease miscellaneous expenses $850
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