In an effort to promote economic literacy and transparency, officials with the Christian County Fiscal Court held their first-ever “budget Address” Monday morning — there in the third floor of the courthouse.
Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam, presiding over his first term in office, said he, treasurer Walter Cummings and the budget committee of squires John Bruce, Russ Guffey and Phillip Peterson spent at least 30-to-40 hours working with city government and local agencies, in order to effectively pare down and finely temper the ledger.
At present, fiscal court is looking at a slight reduction from last year: down from $45.9 million to $43.5 million. But this also comes with a lower carryover: down from $4.2 million to $2.4 million. Furthermore, it comes with an improved health insurance fund for county employees and a 5% cost-of-living increase, but currently not at the cost of raising any county taxes.
Using a cross-section of tax rates, Gilliam compared Christian County to three other similarly-populated municipalities in Bullitt, Oldham and McCracken counties. Locally, property tax is at 18.2% and tangible/inventory tax is at 18.6% — both trickling down in recent years.
Respectively, Bullitt County is at 9.3% and 9.3%, Oldham is at 8.7% and 11.8%, and McCracken is at 10.8% and 16.3%.
What Christian County doesn’t have, Gilliam noted, is any other major tax.
If county population, job creation and property values continue to increase, Gilliam noted mathematically those taxes could continue to lower in rates.
In the research process, Gilliam said there were many discovered challenges, which included but wasn’t limited to the rise in health, property and casualty insurance, maintaining a competitive pay scale, and inflationary costs across the board.
Benefits, however, were also recognized. A reduction in retirement contributions, program efficiency and a reduction in debt service as the Christian County Jail cost approaches zero all help.
Needed capital projects in the scope include repainting and remodeling the court house, concession stands at Ruff Park and the ever-expansive range of broadband internet in Christian County. And of the $13.9 million earmarked in the budget from the American Rescue Plan Act and broadband, Gilliam said more than $10.8 million remains to be spent on the infrastructure.
With Mayor JR Knight in attendance, Gilliam said the county and the city had to work together, and openly in the public.
The first reading of the budget is scheduled for Tuesday morning’s fiscal court session, with a second reading planned for the last fiscal court meeting in June — just prior to the July 1 deadline.
Gilliam also noted PADD’s Communication Director Melissa Thompson played an important part in Monday’s presentation.
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