Tara BakerTimes-Georgian

Appropriations for the county’s Fiscal Year 2008 budget and how to reconcile $52 million in department requests with a projected $44 million in revenues will be the highlight of a county commission planning retreat today.

“This meeting is not a participatory meeting, but it is open to the public,” Carroll County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert Barr said. “The general focus of the meeting will be on the budget, but there is the possibility that other items will arise.”

The balanced FY08 budget must be presented to the board for review at their next public meeting May 15. The official budget must be approved by the end of this fiscal year, June 30.

“But the budget is never final,” Barr said. “Throughout the year, we see the numbers go up as far as the different (county) departments needing to amend their budgets.”

In January, several county departments requested a total of $751,000 in Fiscal Year 2007 budget amendments to cover unanticipated expenses incurred over the year. The largest of these requests came for Carroll County Fire Chief Gary Thomas, who attributed his request of an extra $277,000 primarily to the employment of 18 new firefighters and the addition of a new fire station off Tumblin-Lake Road north of Villa Rica.

“There’s never a time when you want to ask for more funding,” he said. “But we’ve never had a station of this size before, or as many personnel before.”

County Comptroller Don Johnson said department requests for the FY08

budget amounted to more than $52 million from the general fund and more than $5 million from the capital fund, which goes toward the purchase of large items. He said the county’s estimated total revenues of more than $44 million will not be enough to grant the more than $57 million being requested from departments.

“That’s about $13 million more than what we have in revenues, so they’re not going to get that much,” Johnson said. “This is merely a wish list from all the departments.”

Besides appropriations for the county’s several departments ” which include public safety, public works, and the judicial circuit ” Barr said funding also will be discussed for the various new programs in the county.

“There are several programs underway,” he said. “The Community Oriented Policing Services (grant through the U.S. Department of Justice) goes toward hiring sheriff’s deputies, and the (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants) provide that there are at least two firefighters at each station.”

Barr said there also are several hidden costs related to the addition of new facilities within the county.

“It’s great to have a new gym, but there’s heating and cooling and electricity that are new expenses we’ll have to look at,” Barr said. “The same goes with the new fire station (north of Villa Rica). People don’t think of those as increasing costs, but they do.”

While no votes will be made on any items discussed at today’s meeting, Barr said there will be several other topics on the agenda besides the FY08 budget.

Brad Jones, project manager for consulting firm Jordan, Jones & Goulding, will present a master plan for the county’s passive parks project, and an update on the Carroll County Courthouse expansion will be given.

“These planning retreats are less structured than your normal meeting, but I like that,” Barr said. “It’s an opportunity to gain background and input on ongoing issues.”

The meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. in the Carroll County Athletic Complex on Newnan Road.