County’s new fiscal year started Dec. 1

Union County government’s new fiscal year started on Dec. 1. The fiscal year runs through Nov. 30, 2024.

At a regular meeting just prior to Thanksgiving, the Union County Board of Commissioners approved a combined annual budget and appropriations ordinance for the new fiscal year.

The meeting was Thursday morning, Nov. 22, at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro. 

Approval of the ordinance culminated many hours of hard work which went into drafting a balanced budget.

Some of the major appropriations included in the county’s new budget included:

General fund $7,834,546. Ambulance $1,299,078. Project Redeploy $775,642.

County highway general $920,946. County bridge $154,081. Federal aid matching $148,663. 

County motor fuel tax $1,048,379. Unit road district $467,544. Unit road district bridge $230,754. Unit road district motor fuel tax $1,238,699. Township bridge program $378,998.

Courthouse repair and maintenance $553,155. Capital improvements $1,508,237.

The commissioners also approved five amendments to collective bargaining agreements and four addendums to employment agreements.

The action provided 6 percent raises to approximately 80 county employees for Fiscal Year 2024. Elected officials are not included in those raises.

The amendments covered collective bargaining agreements between the county and the Union County circuit clerk’s office, the treasurer’s office, the county clerk’s office, the state’s attorney’s office, the assessor’s office, the sheriff’s office and the county highway department.

The addendums covered the county engineer, the supervisor of assessments, the county administrator and the human resource director.

Varying cost of living increases already were in place for the employees. With the action by the county board, 6 percent raises were approved – which were higher than what was already in place.

County board chairman Max Miller said the increase in pay represented a show of appreciation and was “very worthwhile” and also showed that the commissioners were “trying to do the best we can” for employees.

“It’s all well deserved. We appreciate what you do,” the board chairman said about the hard work being done by county employees. He thanked everyone for their “hard work and what we’ve accomplished.” 

During recent talks about the new budget, the commissioners had praised the work which has been done to allow the county to stay within its budget.