Sheriff’s office prioritizes deputy retention

In an expansive meeting which took place over 220 minutes, several Union County departments discussed their proposed budgets for the next fiscal year.

Starting with county law enforcement, Sheriff Brian Bolton presented a budget with expenses expected to reach past $2 million. The 7% increase in expenses ($2,010,455) comes in a few ways.

Deputies are expected to receive raises in the next year, with Bolton saying it’s the best way for the county to retain hard-working employees.

“I had a farmer tell me a while back, if you want to build a strong cattle herd, the first step in the process is to fix your fence,” Bolton said. “Otherwise, you keep buying cattle and they keep getting out.”

One plan for the sheriff’s office is to have a school resource officer for an expected three days a week at the East Union School District. Participation in a weapons buyback program, where the department can purchase firearms for deputies who will later pay them off, will hopefully relieve some expenses on individual officers. Officers currently buy their own weapons using personal funds.

Revenues are likely to decrease for the sheriff’s office, with expected revenues ($92,900) at 8.7% under the previous year.

Union County Treasurer Kelly Busch presented her office’s proposed budget. The largest increase in expenses come from salary and major increases in postage and printing.

“Postage just continues to increase, and we mail out a lot of items,” Busch said.

A new expense (about $50 per month starting July 1) with Iowa State Savings Bank will allow for the county to verify payment through a checks and balances verification system to reduce the chance of fraud in the county. Busch noted issues with neighboring counties and said she’s working to avoid similar cases in Union County.

The treasurer’s office’s proposed budget includes a 9.2% increase to expenses ($448,054) and a 5.9% increase to revenues ($333,650).

Recorder Katie Carlton discussed her changes which she described as “pretty boring.” Expected increases to county revenue includes matching snowmobile fees to overperformance in recent years as well as passport photos.

Carlton also noted proposed legislation which would increase county recording fees is being discussed in the state legislature since at least last year. The legislation would also align counties toward modern digital record keeping. Whether or not Union County could receive more revenues for the recorder’s office is still up to legislators.

Expense changes were based on increases to salaries, as recommended by the compensation board as well as decreasing expenses for office equipment.

The recorder’s proposed budget requested a 2.3% increase to expenses (totaling $272,810) and an expected 0.7% increase in revenues ($99,200).

The county’s largest budget will likely see a cut in expenses according to the department’s proposal. With secondary roads moving more projects in-house, savings have been made year-over-year. The department is requesting a 1.2% reduction in expenses ($6.44 million) and an increase of 3.5% in revenues ($4.85 million).

Other departments saw typical changes in their budgets. Amanda Husband of Environmental Health also discussed her budget during the meeting, which saw a 1.9% increase in expenses ($173,381) and a 6.3% increase in revenues ($93,832).

The Building and Grounds’ requested budget saw a 3.9% increase in expenses ($200,796), with more funds toward fixing HVAC systems in county buildings and improving the jail’s common area. The attorney’s office’s proposed expenses increased by 3.5% ($387,557).

The auditor’s office increased their proposed expenses by 2% ($658.274). Budgeted revenues are minimal for the department and impact on the county, with the next year expected to decrease by 52.2% ($21,350).

In other Union County news...

Kelsey Kinyon, representing the National Resources Conservation Service, spoke alongside Roger Baker and Nick Allen about the organization’s work around Union County. The organization does preventative work on watershed areas, working with landowners in order to prevent damage to the local environment.

The visit functioned on a report to the county. Continuing a trend from last year, the organization did not request any funds from the county for the next fiscal year.

A burn ban is still in place within Union County. Correspondence during the meeting’s public forum from EMA Coordinator Paul Ver Meer says the burn ban will stay in place through Friday, Feb. 13.