Rising Costs Will Test County's 2025 Budget Strategy

Presiding Commissioner Jesse Roy said, during the Dec. 12 regular meeting, as information has been coming available, "I've already started putting a pencil to it." He won’t have a clear picture of how things stand until the departments submit their final numbers, but the one certainty is that costs have increased significantly over the past 12 months.

One of those higher-than-expected costs has been postage.

“The public has no idea how many tens of thousands of dollars the county has to spend each year on postage, to mail out things like tax statements, assessment forms, and voters’ registration cards,” commented Roy.

Computer upgrading and the need for a new elevator are also high ticket items which will likely need to come out of the budget in 2025.

The county’s liability insurance (MoPerm) increased from $211,948 in 2023 to $248,558 in 2024. According to broker Regina Griffin, who was present at the meeting, the county can expect the cost to be about $287,922, next year, which is at least another 11 to 12 percent increase.

Roy asked Griffin whether MoPerm offers any types of training for employees on topics relative to liability issues, such as harassment. She said such training is available. "They will come to your location and also offer training online." Griffin said she will do some research and report back.

Sheriff-elect Rad Talburt presented a $12,390 quote for the purchase of (seven) two-way radios, to replace the old radios currently used by the department. Talburt said before presenting the need to the commission he had tried to find a grant source to fund the cost of radios but had not been successful. "We didn't qualify for the grant, but the radios the department has are old and few. I would prefer two-band radios, but we can get by with one-band if we have to," said Talburt.

Roy told Talburt he would need to look at the numbers and determine what might be done. Overtime for the sheriff's department has been high since the election due to understaffing, as deputies have been finding employment elsewhere.

Talburt updated the commission on the status of the two Ford Explorers and a pick-up truck that the county is purchasing from the Missouri State Highway Patrol's retired vehicle surplus, stating that they should be ready within a month. He said one of the first things he will do is assess the vehicles he has in the department fleet and determine which ones to sell. He said he plans to also evaluate items in the evidence locker with hopes of having a sheriff's sale in the spring.

Talburt stated prior to taking office on Jan. 1, he will be attending a sheriff's training which is being held in December at Lake of the Ozarks.

Talburt said he has uniforms for the deputies he has hired

County Road Crew Foreman Dale Beston told the commission that he had met with FEMA to (hopefully) finalize their assessment process for the county's application for reimbursement from damages resulting from the Memorial Day weekend tornado.

Jim Perren was at the meeting to discuss a road issue. Perren's concern regarded easement and maintenance of a road which is public, but is not maintained by the county. Commissioner Gary Emmons explained that the process for the county taking over a public road can take two years or more and involves a petition of all affected landowners using the road, as well as public hearings. Also, the road itself must meet certain specifications.

The next meeting of the commission will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 31. As per law, the commission must remain in session until midnight.