ASHLAND — Ashland County commissioners approved of a slightly larger spending plan on Thursday as officials transition into 2024.
The county’s budget heading into 2024 represents a 7.2% increase in spending over 2023 projections, driven mainly by wage increases in several departments.
The county spent $17.3 million in 2023 and has budgeted $18.6 million for 2024, according to the county’s general fund document.
Ashland County Board of Commissioners President Mike Welch highlighted five areas of the budget that drove the increase in spending.
The Ashland County Common Pleas Court requested $125,000 in its “capital case fees” line item, a $100,000 increase from 2023. Capital case fees are paid during capital cases, or death penalty cases.
Court administrator Tina Carpenter said Howard Walters, accused of killing his son-in-law and charged with aggravated murder, could be tried as a capital case. Court records show a pretrial in that case is scheduled for Jan. 19.
Carpenter said capital case fees include those paid toward appointed counsel, forensic experts and others, if Walters should lose his ability to pay for counsel. So far, he has been able to pay, Carpenter said.
“But we thought it best to be proactive,” Carpenter said. “There’s a possibility that we might have to pony up some money to get this thing processed.”
Wage increases
Welch also pointed to the the Ashland County Coroner’s Office. The employee wages line item in that office are set to increase by 33%.
The maintenance buildings and grounds budget is also set to increase by 6.8%, driven by wage increases.
Other offices set for wage increases include the sheriff’s office and veteran service office.
In the sheriff’s office, wages for enforcement deputies and detectives increased by about $324,000, a 22% increase from 2023 figures.
Insurance
The county has also budgeted more for its group and liability insurance, which is up by 9.6%. The county’s workers compensation and property insurance is also up slightly.
Overall, including funds and agencies outside the general fund, the county has more than $155 million budgeted for 2024, a 4.1% increase over 2023.
Commissioners approved of an overall budget of $155,009,756.16, a figure that is $399,447.63 less than what was requested from department heads across the county.
Cuts and changes to the budget
Some of those cuts were made by department heads; some were concessions made by commissioners.
The commissioners’ office, for example, budgeted $100,000 for employee wages. The figure represents a $58,485.17 decrease from 2023.
Other cuts included $120,000 for the sheriff’s office equipment line item request and $10,000 less for its fuel expenses.
And though wages for the sheriff’s office enforcement and detectives are up, that particular department did not receive all the money it requested. The office asked commissioners for just north of $2 million for the wage line item and only received $1.8 million.
The same goes for the sheriff’s drug task force wages line item. The office requested $150,800 and received $140,000.
Probate court and Ashland County civil defense wages are also slightly down, but those figures were adjusted by department heads — not by commissioners.