Ogle to use landfill fees to balance the county budget
By VINDE WELLS
vwells@shawnews.com
Shaw News Service
Ogle County Board members butted heads this week over a proposal to use landfill host fees to help balance the budget, but eventually approved the measure by a 18-5 vote.
A heated debate arose after Finance Committee Chairman Lyle Hopkins made a recommendation to release $665,000 from the Solid Waste Fund to the General Fund for the 2010 budget, as an incentive for the county’s three unions to make wage concessions to further ease the financial crunch.
The $665,000 would be earmarked for nonsalary building expenses and Focus House utilities.
The board decided to make the fund transfer as a loan to be paid back in 5 years, but only if the unions, which represent sheriff’s department employees, will agree to no wage increases in 2010.
The unions also must identify spending cuts equivalent to 3 percent wage reductions and five furlough days for each employee.
County Administrator Meggon McKinley said that if other ways to reach the needed $250,000 in spending cuts can be identified, employees won’t have to take wage cuts or furlough days.
Board member Ron Colson of Oregon said the county board decided 10 years ago that the host fees should be held in reserve for resolving emergency environmental problems that may arise.
“We do not have access to this money. It’s like stealing it,” he said.
Board member Bob DeArvil, of Chana, also opposed dipping into the Solid Waste Fund.
“I think it’s a total mistake to take this money out unless it’s a loan,” he said. “If we do it once, we’ll do it again. It will never come back.”
Board member Rich Gronewold, of Forreston, said he doesn’t like taking the money from the fund, but sees no other solution.
“I don’t think I can say no to a proposition when I don’t have a better answer,” he said.
Board member Kim Gouker, of Byron, said he opposed using the funds as a way to get concessions from the union.
Hopkins disagreed. “To me this is a showing of good faith to keep the county running as its been running,” he said.
Calling the current budget “a piece of junk,” board member Lynne Kilker of Oregon reminded the board that she and seven others voted against it last fall because the revenues were unrealistic.
“What we have here is a case of poor management by this county board,” Kilker said.
Board member Paul White called for county officials to tighten their belts.
“We’ve all been aware of our shortfall of revenue for 2009 and 2010 for the past six months,” he said. “While some department heads started getting their finances in order for our 2009-10 budget short fall, others continue spending ... It’s time to cut the percentage needed from the budget across the board for all departments who haven’t met the estimated revenue shortfall.”
Due to declining revenues county treasurer John Coffman has predicted a budget shortfall of as much as $1 million for the current fiscal year which ends Nov. 30.
Revenues are expected to decline further in 2010.
