Over the next few months, Cole County commissioners will be creating the budget for 2017. On Tuesday, they heard from heads of departments under their direct supervision.
Most of the discussions focused on personnel and salaries.
The 2016 budget included a 2 percent COLA increase and a 2 percent merit pool, which is a reserve account to give merit raises in each county department.
Facilities Manager Greg Camp said it was increasingly harder to find maintenance workers since the salaries the county was offering were lower than those being offered at other government and private businesses around the area.
Prenger Juvenile Center Director Michael Couty also told commissioners they would like to increase the pay of their part-time staff, something that hasn't happened in 10 years.
Public Works Director Larry Benz said they included a 2 percent cost of living increase in their proposed budget and a 1 percent merit increase.
For now, Benz and Camp said there were no changes to capital projects for the upcoming year, although the commission may make additions during its budget-making process later.
Benz said they would like to discuss with the commission possibly making an adjustment in the rates for the Eugene Water System, which the county took over after the town disincorporated.
"We're keeping it above water, no pun intended," Benz said. "We also haven't given up hope of having Missouri American Water eventually taking over, although they are still skeptical the system can make money."
John Smith of Paramedics Plus LLC, the county's consultant on ambulance service enhancements, told commissioners they are looking at a new system to allow them to better handle how 911 calls come into their offices. This could cost $30,000-$40,000.
He said they would like to add four to five dispatchers. They would also like to put two supervisors on duty during the day, allowing them to be able to answer calls or go along on calls, and have a single supervisor at night who could also work in the ambulances. Smith said they were also looking at the schedule for reconditioning the interior and exterior of ambulances. The work on a single ambulance can cost around $105,000.
Auditor Kristen Berhorst will present her proposed 2017 budget to the commission on Nov. 10, and budget discussions with departments headed by elected officials will follow.
In November and December, the commission will come up with a final budget that must be approved by Jan. 10.