In our first article about the Webster County budget, we examined three different year’s budgets from 2008 to 2012.
Our initial review reached these conclusions:
(A) Total revenues, including coal severance revenues, declined a total of $509,968.40 from 2008 to 2012.(B) Total spending increased a total of $1,192,276.14 from 2008 to 2012.
(C) Coal severance revenues declined $184,972.18 from its 2008 level (about a 27 percent decline), with future coal severance revenues expected to be even less.
(D) At the end of each fiscal year examined, the County had “on paper” a significant surplus ($2.442 million to the good back in 2008, $2.415 million in 2010, and $1.034 million in 2012).
We left for further analysis many issues, including the question of whether the increase in Regional Jail fees account for the $1,192,276.14 increase in spending from 2008 to 2012?
We can answer this question most easily.
In 2008, the bill to the Regional Jail paid by the County was $185,134.00. Magistrates Danny Markle and Gary Payne were in office during this time period, along with Judges Jack Alsop and Richard Facemire. In 2010, the bill to the Regional Jail increased to $489,123.06, with the same two Judges, but two new Magistrates, John Stone and Rich Robertson, in office. In 2012, the Regional Jail bill surpassed half a million dollars at $517,579.24, with the same Judges and Magistrates in office. The increase in the Regional Jail bill from 2008 to 2012 is $332,445.24. Both Judges and Magistrates set bail for defendants and both Judges and Magistrates issue terms of imprisonment, all of which contribute to Webster County residents being incarcerated at the Regional Jail.
Many folks have complained that, at least in part, the current Magistrates and their system of setting high bail amounts (which many defendants cannot post) are to blame for the County’s alleged budget problems. The facts exposed by the analysis of the County’s budgets from 2008 to 2012 reveals that the Regional Jail bill accounts for only 27.9% of the increase in spending from 2008 to 2012.
However, a claim that the declining revenues are based solely on declining coal severance tax revenues is inaccurate. The declining coal severance revenues account for only 36.3% of the total decline in revenues.
Further, a claim that the increased spending is based solely on the increased Regional Jail fees is likewise inaccurate. As noted above, the increased Regional Jail fees make up only 27.9% of the increase in spending.
This leaves at least two important questions unanswered:
First, if declining coal severance revenues account for only 36.3% of the total decline in revenues, what makes up the other 63.7% of the decline in revenues?
Second, if increased Regional Jail fees account for only 27.9% of the total increase in spending, what makes up the other 72.1% of the increase in spending?
Stay tuned for answers to these questions and more from the Commentator as we continue to examine the County budget.
Here is a quick link to our first article about the County’s budget:
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