Elmore County Commission Passes FY19 Budget
The Elmore County Commission adopted the FY19 budget at the September 24th meeting. A copy of the budget can be found on the County Commission’s web site. This budget was created with input by our Commissioners, department heads and county wide elected officials.
This budget continues funding for additional deputies as it was put in place for the FY18 budget. These deputies were desperately needed by the Sheriff’s department. Elmore County is growing, and to keep pace with the demands placed on our Sheriff’s department, five additional deputies have recently been added. Properly funding our Sheriff’s department is one of the Commissions core missions, because having a safe community to live in is most important. We are very fortunate to have Sheriff Franklin and his staff that run an effective and efficient operation.
Our current county wide economic development efforts were also funded. The Elmore County Economic Development Authority (ECEDA) is in the midst of many changes; one of which is the hiring of a new executive director. Elmore County’s current unemployment rate of 3.7% is one of the lowest in Alabama. Working to have good high paying jobs is always a priority. ECEDA also plays an important role in improving the quality of life for our citizens and current businesses. Increasing retail opportunities, working to solve the lack of broadband along with capitalizing on the presence of our natural resources specifically related to tourism will result in citizens realizing great benefit. I appreciate ECEDA’s Board of Directors which serves voluntarily with the goal of improving the county we live in.
Our budget also provided funding for our volunteer fire departments. The Elmore County Fire Fighters Association recently presented information to the Commission that shows our volunteer fire departments collectively save Elmore County citizens millions of dollars annually in insurance premiums, as well as saving millions of dollars of property through effective response. That is a huge positive economic impact on our county that is generally unrealized by most citizens. These savings are, in part, a result of the current Fire Protection Classifications our county departments maintain individually and require constant investment in equipment, training and personnel. This investment can only be sustained with proper funding. Through the Elmore County Fire Fighters Association, the county provides funding for workman’s compensation insurance that protects our firefighters if they are injured while serving you. This budget also funds a large portion of the software fire departments use to report incidents, collect data, document training and distribute required reports to maintain compliance. When you see a member of our fire service please tell them how much you appreciate them serving their community.
These listed budget items represent a small portion of the many areas this Commission is committed to providing for our business and citizens. It strives to be a good steward of your dollars through efficiently operation of our county’s government and more effective delivery of critical services.
Bart Mercer