By Mary Alice Murphy

County Financial Officer Linda Vasquez began the budget meeting of the Grant County Commission on May 29, 2019, with the statement: "We recommend the preliminary budget be approved as presented."

She noted that the surplus at the end of the next fiscal year was projected to be $41,691. "We did leave in the step plan for the Sheriff's Office and put in a $25,000 increase for special elections because of the law changes. The Clerk's Office hopes to get new revenue in the manner of reimbursement for managing more elections. I also put in the $8,000 request for the Bayard Library."

Commissioner Harry Browne said he had expressed interest in giving money also to the Silver City and Gila libraries.

"We can look at it in the final budget," Vasquez said.

Commissioner Javier Salas said and asked: "No department uses its full budget, do they? So ,anything that's left over could go to the libraries?"

Vasquez said it depends on the cash balances for operating expenses for each department.

"Say the Sheriff's office has $300,000 left because deputies are not hired," Salas said.

Browne explained that at the end of June, the county will know the final numbers for expenditures this year and will know what revenue has come in. "We will know then how much departments are carrying over."

Salas asked: "If next year the Sheriff is at a full contingent, where will he get the money?"

Browne said that with this budget, the county can fund all of that. "We add anything that's left to reserves."

Vasquez said there is never a deficit at the end of a fiscal year. Salas asked what happens if everything is expended. Vasquez said if it is, there is less of a carryover.

Commissioner Alicia Edwards said she would like more discussion about libraries and more discussion about money for the Clerk's Office and for special elections.

Vasquez reiterated that things can change at the end of the fiscal year. "The revenues may be more than we budgeted in this preliminary budget, and expenses can be more or less."

Commission Chairman Chris Ponce said he had questions about how much the Sheriff saved by not hiring and not paying salaries, benefits and PERA. "When will we have final numbers?"

"The first week in July we will have a better idea," Vazquez replied, "but we won't have final numbers until near the end of July, when we have to have the final budget done to submit."

Salas said: "We really need to focus on hourly employees. We have to look at what we have and what we don't. Where can we save, so we can give a 3% to 4% raise?"

Edwards pointed out that every time the county gives an overall raise like that, "it increases the disparity between the lower and higher wages. We need a discussion about a step plan without across-the-board raises. I would like to see the second July meeting just be the budget. Once we give raises, we have to have the money every year to pay for them."

Ponce said it needs to stay flat. "Our elected officials are elected by the citizens. What's the dollar amount to train new people when they lose employees? We're working on the Sheriff's Department. We should look at all of them."

Salas suggested maybe instead of a percentage, it should be an additional $1 an hour.

County Manager Charlene Webb said that early in July, she intends to work on a program for all departments similar to the step plan for the Sheriff's Office. "June is fully booked for me. I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to address the ADA needs for Bataan Park. For a week in June, we have the conference of counties. I would rather have the next fiscal year taken care of with a budget before I do the study."

Commissioner Billy Billings, who missed the long budget hearing because of a family commitment, said he missed how Bayard Library got funded, but not the others.

"We usually receive a request from Bayard Library, and we added it," Webb said. "We don't usually receive requests from Silver City or Gila, but we are the fiscal agent for the Gila Library, so we know their grants and such."

Edwards said the commissioners need a discussion on all the libraries. "I request you take Bayard out of the preliminary budget. It's not fair. We have to decide what we want to do."

Webb said it was easier at this point to leave the funding in the preliminary budget, so Vasquez didn't have to redo so much for an $8,000 change, with a deadline to submit in two days. "We can do it for the final," Webb said.

"We need to make it clear that Bayard may not get that much," Edwards said.

The preliminary budget was approved.

During commissioner reports, Salas said it is really his intent for all the libraries to get some funding and to provide something for all the employees, but "I realize we are on a fixed budget."

Webb said she is working on a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) due in August and the ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan) due in September. "We have to make capital outlay requests in November or early December. We will know on the CDBG before we make capital outlay requests, so we'll have a better idea of available funding. We can amend the ICIP at any time."

Edwards had no report.

Browne said: "Most of us are aware of the humanitarian crisis in Deming. The bus stop is small. Last week my wife and I, with a total of six of us, went down there to volunteer. There were a lot of volunteers. The city of Deming has put up $1 million toward the crisis. Is there anything, we, as a good neighbor, can offer to them, completely independent of our views on the situation?"

"I've had conversations with City Manager Aaron Sera," Webb said. "He has approached me to help with transportation. Gilbert Helton (county emergency manager) has gone down. County organizations have helped out. The pastor in Gila has offered a bus. We are working on helping with transportation."

Ponce said: "As far as Bataan Park, I want residents to know that we are working on it, with a grant application being worked on."

The commissioners went into the brief executive session and the outcome of that session was reported on in http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/51331-breaking-news-grant-county-commission-approves-item-discussed-in-executive-session-052919