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The Lowndes County Commission approved its 2017-2018 budget, Wednesday, Sept. 20, including a 5 percent across the board raise for all fulltime county employees plus a $1,000 increase for each fulltime employee.
The budget includes revenues of $9,103,646.43, expenses of $9,134,515.43, with an overage in expenditures of $30,869. However, the overage is compensated by the carryover from the previous year’s budget of more than $108,000, according to County Administrator Jackie Thomas.
Thomas said the $1,000 increase included in the budget for each fulltime employee is not a bonus nor one-time pay increase. “It is a raise,” she said.
Thomas said the $1,000 increase and the 5 percent raise will be added in October. And she said the $1,000 increase will be divided over 26 pay periods.
The budget passed with Carnell McAlpine, Dickson Farrior and Joseph Barganier voting “yes” and Robert Harris and Joshua Simmons voting “no.”
Harris said he voted “no” because certain things were not in place for two Highway Department positions. And Simmons said he voted “no with reason.”
Look for more detailed report to follow.