Court includes plans to resurface roads and improve pool

The Perry County Fiscal Court approved the budgets of Perry County Sheriff Pat Wooton and Circuit Court Clerk Haven King for 2005.

The Sheriff's budget was approved last Tuesday during the regular-scheduled Fiscal Court meeting for December. The Circuit Clerk's budget was approved after a lengthy discussion during a special-called meeting yesterday in the courtroom.

Fiscal Court members asked King if he could compromise on his submitted budget, and King eventually obliged.

"We're willing to pass your budget for the same as last year," Perry County Judge-Executive Denny Ray Noble. "We're talking about taking all cell phones out of vehicles in order to survive."

King first submitted a budget more than last year, but the court asked if some cut-backs could be made.

"You are all in agreement that in order to give our cost of expenses raises we have to cut stuff we need to run the Circuit Clerk's office?" King asked about giving employees cost-of-living raises.

No one on the Fiscal Court made a motion to not give the raises, and every member also said they definitely were in favor of the raises.

The total budget for the Circuit Clerk was $6,343,879 for last year while the budget for this year is projected at $6,332,000.

"Can we make a compromise?" District Two Magistrate Randy Bailey asked. "Is there anything you can cut to compromise with us."

King agreed to submit $62,694 in excess fees to the court. The members then agreed to pass his budget.

"I'll always compromise," King said. "If that's the only way I can get the budget passed, so be it."

The court also set the salary cap for the Circuit Clerk's office at $336,010.

Wooton submitted a budget the same as last year to the court for approval, which was done unanimously.

The court also approved a resolution to apply for a grant to repair the Perry County Pool along with a Memorandum of Agreement with the Perry County Fiscal Court and the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Transportation Cabinet of Intergovernmental Programs to perform bituminous resurfacing on various county roads.

The canteen fund at the Perry County Detention Center was also discussed during the meeting.

The appointment of Barbara Tate to the Perry County Public Library Board of Trustees was also approved during the meeting.

The court also approved a lease for the financing of a project and authorizing the execution of various documents related to such lease and approved the monthly Treasurer's report.

The court also agreed to pay $200 each to five families whose homes recently burnt.