Fiscal Court discusses clerks office move, other items

Jan. 12—Blake Vickers

During their Jan. 10, 2023, meeting, the Madison County Fiscal Court approved the 2023 budget for the county clerk's office and discussed the clerk's move to a new building on Madison Avenue.

County Clerk Kenny Barger presented resolutions on the 2023 budget — which totaled $28,207,500.

He explained that officials have "gotten really good over the years at estimating what [they're] gonna bring in in each area," and illustrated that point by saying the clerk's office's 2021 budget had a nearly level estimated balance between receipts and funds available— with totals estimated at $2,128,047 and $2,128,047.50, respectively.

According to Barger, that is because the budget is "complete pass through," meaning funds (taxes) are collected and then distributed.

He also added the clerk's office's is performing quite well while also lowering expenses.

"We've continued to be the most customer-focused, cost-effective, clerk's office in the state, and I think we've achieved that," Barger said. "We've continued to lower our headcount; that's our main expense... We've continued to lower that headcount to provide even better service through cross-training."

"Everybody that works at the clerk's office can fill any role, anywhere... We've been able to continue to send more money back to the fiscal court to use that to improve our county year after year and term after term," the clerk added.

Barger then briefed the court on Resolution 2023-02, regarding renovations done at the county-owned property at 321 North Madison Avenue that will permanently house the clerk's office as renovations begin on the county courthouse.

Per the resolution, the total renovation costs will not expected to exceed $300,000. In keeping with the 2023 Administrative Code, the renovations will be made using small purchase procedures not exceeding bids of $30,000.

"Nobody's ever done this because they want to.. We've been in the courthouse for 200 plus years, but because of the opportunity to renew the courthouse and take care of it, this has to happen," Barger said.

While it will be a smaller space than the clerk's office is used to working in, Barger reasoned that it will be a change benefitting the public.

"The customer won't have to know what room to go into. They're going to be able to come in and get served right there at the counter — no matter what they need. Whether it's a passport, marriage license, driver's license, recording a deed, or whatever," Barger explained. "I just could not, in good conscience, take that much money and put it in the private sector when we could come up with another solution at a county-owned building that will relieve us of the liability of renewing a lease in five years."

In addition to talks about the budget, the Madison County School Board was brought before the fiscal court in honor of School Board Recognition Month.

Board Chair Brandon Rutherford thanked the fiscal court.

"I just wanna say thank you all. We appreciate it. We work hard and we try to give our community and our kids the best education they have," Rutherford said. "They're the ones that are going to be in charge 20, 30, or 40 years from now. What we're working hard to do is enable these kids with the best education to make the future of Madison County better."

Magistrate Stephen Lochmueller thanked the board, noting that two of his children attend Madison Central High School.

"I've got two seniors at Madison Central High School. We've been very pleased by the education and what's going on at Madison Central High School," Lochmueller said.

It was also reported the final payment for the Kit Carson Commons Project was approved.

The fiscal court also renewed the bond for the Judge Executive's Office and Scott Shepherd's tenure as the county road supervisor. Shepherd will serve another four-year term.

Shepherd took the opportunity to brief the fiscal court on a potential offer to purchase new snow trucks from International Trucks.

There are currently 17 snow trucks in use by the county. According to Shepherd, 10 trucks are new, while remaining seven are much older. Due to the global chip shortage presented by the pandemic, the county has been unable to obtain new snow trucks. The shortage also impacted the county's 2020 plans of purchasing one new truck per year. Shepherd was contacted with the offer to purchase up to three new International snow trucks to be delivered in Dec. 2024.

However, Shepherd noted the price of the trucks — once at $119,500 — has gone up roughly 107% to a cost of $226,333.95 and that he was not comfortable with that price. If the court declined this offer and waited for another opportunity, Shepherd estimated new trucks would not be delivered to the county until 2027.

The court decided to mull over the decision and further discuss it at the next fiscal court meeting that will be held on Jan. 24 at Richmond City Hall.