County commission will review new budgets

The fiscal year 2006-07 budget for Columbia County is only two days away from being adopted.

The budget, which calls for a 9.58 percent increase, or $4,224,558 more from the previous year, for a total general fund of $48,328,904, will go before Columbia County Commission at its 6:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting at Evans Government Center. The commission has said it will approve the budget without the need of a millage increase. Officials haven't considered a millage rollback, however, and rollback hearings have been tentatively set for July 10 and 18.

In the budget, the department with one of the highest overall increases was the sheriff's office, at a 10.95 percent rise from the previous year. That is $1,163,599 more than the previous year for a total budget of $11,785,898, county finance director Leanne DeLoach said.

She said the budget for the county jail, $6,714,945, also increased by 11 percent - a jump of $665,445.

Commission Chairman Ron Cross said the increases were something that the commission agreed with because they are of a public safety nature.

Cross said he was glad to see that the budget could be balanced without the need of a millage increase.

After it is approved, the new budget will go into effect July 1.