The Kanawha County Commission heard budget requests Thursday night from county agencies and other agencies who receive county funding.
The circuit clerk, county clerk, sheriff’s department and tax assessor’s office all submitted flat proposed budgets — budgets where the only increases are uncontrollable costs such as gas, tires and insurance.
For example, the county will have to pay a $500,000 increase in PEIA costs next fiscal year.
According to figures shared at Thursday night’s meeting, the county is estimated to be up $1.2 million in revenue over the 2024 fiscal year revenue. However, the PEIA increase and other needs eat up $1.1 million of that number, staff explained.
A considerable uncontrollable expense will come from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, which needs $95,000 to update their computer servers — a process that happens every five years, Sheriff Mike Rutherford said.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ken Bannon presented his office’s proposed budget, which was not flat. The West Virginia Legislature passed legislation in 2023 adding three magistrate courts and one circuit court to Kanawha County — a move Bannon and the commissioners have called, “an unfunded mandate.â€
Because of that increase, Bannon says his office will need $259,700 from the county for five additional staff members. Also because of the Legislature’s action, the Kanawha County Commission is in the design process for multimillion dollar building renovation.
The office is also asking for around $157,585 in pay raises for all staff members, Commission President Lance Wheeler confirmed Friday.
Commission members seemed unsure if the raises could be funded, pointing out that Circuit Clerk Cathy Gatson had also asked for raises for her staff if there was room in the budget.
“If there’s money in the budget that we didn’t foresee and we can help out all of our employees, I’m in favor of that because I think they deserve that, but this is the difficult [decision] that we have to make,†Wheeler said.
External agencies
The Commission also heard requests from external agencies who receive county funding. Most proposed budgets were flat.
However, the WVU Extension office asked for an increase of $10,000 to make the County Commission’s portion equal to the Board of Education’s portion – $32,000 from each entity. The increase would be used for a salary increase and to match a potential grant for summer programming. Wheeler suggested allocating half of that — funds for a grant match — as a separate request.
One-time funding
The commission also voted on one-time expenditures for the Special Olympics, Ruffner Elementary School, West Side Middle School’s football team and the town of Glasgow.
In response to the Prosecuting Attorney’s budget request, Commissioner Kent Carper defended the one-time expenditures, several of which are approved at every commission meeting. People may ask why the commission can’t fund raises when they can give money to a “ball team,†Carper said.
“Take a look at that, you’ll see most of the time that’s from one shot revenue sources that aren’t continual,†he said. “We’re pretty careful about that.â€
The final budget will be voted on at the next commission meeting at 5 p.m. March 7 at the Kanawha County Courthouse.
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