The McCracken County Fiscal Court voted on the first reading of a 2014-2015 budget Monday that totals $32m, including over $6m for the McCracken County Jail. The jail has a large number of employees and houses more than 450 inmates.
According to McCracken County Judge Executive Van Newberry the jail’s size is an unfortunate byproduct of McCracken County’s progress.
“McCracken County is a retail center, medical center, center of the Jackson Purchase-Southern Illinois area and unfortunately a lot of people come to McCracken County and commit crimes and end up in jail here,” Newberry said.
Newberry said the large $32 million budget figures come, in part, from formalities.
“A lot of that money is pass-through money that we receive and then it goes on to where it supposed to be,” Newberry said. “So, some of it you wouldn’t really say is a typical county expenditure or revenue it’s just a pass through we have to account for.”
The fiscal court will send the budget to the Department of Local Government for approval. A second reading and vote is expected in June.
Other Budget Highlights:
The long cold winter did not affect the Road Department as initially expected. Newberry said the county can purchase more equipment now, because it will spend less than anticipated on road improvement.
An annual salary of $35,000 was approved for a director of the animal shelter. The Fiscal Court expects to hear recommendations from an Animal Shelter Task Force chairperson at the next meeting.
