Jones County commissioners began work on next year’s budget last week with rising fuel prices looming over the expanding expense line.

County Administrator Mike Underwood told commissioners at the first budget workshop July 21 that fuel costs alone will amount to a quarter of a million dollars over the next fiscal year, which begins Sept. 1.

Commissioners also met July 23 and July 24.

The amount of expenses needing to be cut to balance the budget at the beginning of the workshop was $2,756,595.

Underwood said a different method to compute fuel cost was used for this year’s budget. He said the amount of gasoline and diesel fuel used by each department last year was added together and averaged for the past 10 months. That average was multiplied by 12 to get a yearly number of gallons used, and that amount was multiplied by $5.



“The majority of departments are over their annual fuel budgets now,” the administrator stated.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Department is currently over its 2008 gasoline/diesel budget by more than $12,000 with more than a month remaining in the budget year, and the public works department is $73,000 over so far.

Salaries are up $647,000 more for the coming year, and health insurance is expected to increase by 20 percent. New positions are requested by the Planning and Zoning Department, the Tax Commissioner’s Office and Building Maintenance.

Commissioner Larry Childs asked how much of an increase was included in that figure, and Underwood said most department heads had asked for a cost of living increase of 4 percent. Childs suggested the increase be reduced to 2 percent.

Commissioners took the budget line by line during three meetings last week to reduce expenses and made some headway by deciding to purchase large pieces of equipment for the public works department over time and reducing money requested by department heads.

Board members also talked at length about cutting out take-home vehicles for employees not on call and having all county vehicles fill up their tanks at the public works department.

Commissioner Bert Liston said the only way to solve the problem of increasing property taxes is to find another funding source or cut services. Childs agreed and said one way to increase revenue is by providing water and sewer along Gray Highway toward Macon.

“That’s the way to get the commercial development we need,” Childs stated.

Budget talks are expected to continue this week.