By Katie Holland

Staff Writer

As the Sampson County Board of Commissioners contemplates how to create a budget with no tax increase, some county leaders have actually started looking at cutting positions and possibly dropping a department altogether.

To prove how drastic things have become with the county budget, county manager Rick Moorefield introduced the concept of shutting down a department to save the county funds.

“It might be a way to go,” said Moorefield.

Listening to this concept, chairman Jarvis McLamb asked what the county would save if it were to cut down the recreation department.

Clack responded that it would save the county about $890,000 and the salaries of 12 employees.

In an interview following the meeting, McLamb expressed that the recreation department was a name that he just mentioned as an “example”.

“We don’t know what we will do. We are just putting ideas out in the air,” said McLamb.

County finance officer David Clack also presented a couple of options that the board could consider in its attempt to hold the line on taxes.

However, before he presented them, Clack expressed that certain departments will have some requests that will bring the total deficit expected to be increased from the $400,000 that he reported last week to an approximate $1.2 million. Some of the things that the board was asked to consider include the Sheriff’s Department’s request to purchase another 12 vehicles at the cost of $85,672. In addition, Sampson Community College is seeking an additional $240,200 for capital outlay expenses, plus another $100,132 for current expenses.

In one option, the county cut all longevity and 401K from employees, which would save the county about $440,430. In addition, county employees can also expect a five day furlough that will save the county $126,158, and taking away special appropriations that will subtract another $20,296. And even with these cuts, the county will still expect an additional $291,379, which would equate to $0.0089 tax increase.

A second option would call for the county to cut the both county school system’s current expense increase from seven to five percent, which would save the county another $184,144. Sampson Community College would also get the same five percent cut, which would save another $45,925. The plan also seeks cuts in longevity by half percent and 401K matches by one percent as well. This would leave a $142,794 deficit and a tax increase by $.0044 cents per $100 valuation.

The idea of a furlough seemed to disagree with some commissioners. And with it for employees entering the minds of commissioners, some recalled how some employees were incredibly unhappy with such a move.

“Nobody liked the furlough idea,” said commissioner John Blanton, who said that he has promised to never vote for a furlough again, but now he pointed out, “times have changed.”

Moorefield clarified that the main concern was the increase in school funding that the board approved earlier this year that may lead to a tax increase or a loss of a department.

Thus, he asked for the board’s permission to go back and figuring in just a three percent increase in schools rather than the seven percent that is anticipated. The board agreed, but Moorefield continued to say that the closing down a department should be considered.

“At some point, you are going to have to talk about closing down a department,” Moorefield pointed out. However, he did not name any departments he was referring to.

With this, Moorefield finished by saying that he would continue to “fine tune” the budget and possibly have a proposed budget ready by next month.

Katie Holland can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 136, or by e-mail at silife@myclintonnc.com.