There were some last minute changes but the numbers have finally stopped moving.
At Tuesday night’s meeting the commissioners, along with the Chief Finance Officer, Pat Merritt, dealt with requests and funding changes to the county’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget.
The commissioners have agreed to fund half of the LOSAP to the tune of $82,000. LOSAPs, or Length of Service Award Programs, are pension-like programs intended to help recruit and retain volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel. Members are financially rewarded based upon the number of years they serve. The fire companies and rescue squad will pay for the other half of LOSAP out of their budgets. Initially the commissioners planned to cut the county’s $164,000 contribution completely, but after meeting with representatives from all six fire companies and the rescue squad, a compromise was reached.
Director of Public Works Wayne Morris requested an additional $23,000 be added to his budget to hire a full-time person for the county roads department. Originally Morris was hoping to hire an extra employee in January 2012, and had already budgeted for salary and benefits. However, the amount of work for county roads has piled up, he said, and an extra person is needed in July of this year.
The total salary and benefits would be more than $30,000. The commissioners approved the request.
Bernadette Van Pelt, director of Tourism and Economic Development, also requested funding for an additional position. Van Pelt would like to see the Office of Tourism and Economic Development hire an office/project manager. Currently the office employs one administrative aide and one administrative assistant.
“The level of work coming in is director-level work. It’s piling up in that one place. I’m requesting an office manager level person,” she said. “I need to be able to delegate some of these projects.”
Commissioner William Pickrum said he understood Van Pelt’s need, he was just unsure how the county would pay for it. Van Pelt mentioned the entertainment tax coming to the county from the summer concerts scheduled at Hopkins Game Farm.
“We are getting the concerts this year, and that is a tourism and economic development project. That’s $30,000 (in taxes) a concert,” she said.
Commissioners Ron Fithian and Alex Rasin were concerned that Van Pelt’s argument would pit department against department.
“We’re down 32 positions from last year and every department is working harder than they had to before and doing more work than they had to before,” said Fithian.
Merritt said that with some careful refiguring she could find money in the budget to fund Van Pelt’s request out of FY 2012’s contingency fund.
The commissioners asked Van Pelt and Human Resources Director Marty Hale to come up with a scope of work for the position and a proposed salary and benefit package. If the commissioners decide to fund the position they agreed the money could be taken out of FY 2012’s contingency fund.
Merritt will present the proposed county FY 2012 budget next week at 6 p.m. A hearing will be held on Tuesday, June 7 at 6 p.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room, 400 High St.
Merritt said copies of the county’s proposed FY 2012 budget will be available on the county website, www.kentcounty.com, in the next couple days.
Get_A_Job.... says
Why should I pay for old dried up volunteers who are not actually responding on calls? Why should someone who shows up to fire company business meeting receive the same credit as someone who is active in the response arena which is, after all the part of the volunteer system that really matters… If you are retired or disabled you should not be allowed to earn or gain LOSAP credit. If you do not make x amount of emergency responses per year, you should not accrue LOSAP points. There are far too many has been’s and few too many right now’s to continue to pay out for such a system… Way past due for a full time, Kent County Fire Department! My life and home may depend on it!
Keith Thompson says
I think it’s fair for the Tourism and Economic Development office to ask for money from the concert venue entertainment tax to fund an additional position especially because the Tourism and Economic Development Office is a revenue generating department. I think Fithian’s contention that such a request pits department against department is a possibility on the surface, but the difference between Bernadette’s office and other county offices is that their work brings revenue into the county which benefits everyone. I think other county departments and employees would understand that.
MBTroup says
Being an accounting type, I subscribe to the matching principle. Revenues and expenses should have an association. I would like to think that this new position will be created for the purposes of finding the next Hopkins Farm Concert concept (metaphorically speaking). If there isn’t a visible ROI, then Commissioners Fithian and Rasin’s concern is in play.
rds says
@ Get_A-Job:
Q – Why should I pay for old dried up volunteers who are not actually responding on calls?
A – Because those “Old Dried up Volunteers” spent many, many years actually responding on calls risking their lives, and losing time with their families in order to provide you with the best service they could so that you could live in safety to this day in order to post your undignified and totally ignorant reply……Are you for real?
Q – Why should someone who shows up to fire company business meeting receive the same credit as someone who is active in the response arena which is, after all the part of the volunteer system that really matters…
A – I’m not certain that it does, but you need all the parts of service in order for it to function properly, Business meetings, Training, Equipment maintenance time, Fund Raising activities, actual responses…all these things together are what your Volunteer Fire and Rescue service are…Not just riding the Ding Dings to the calls…You don’t have any of the other parts, then you don’t have the actual responses…Are you for real?
C – If you are retired or disabled you should not be allowed to earn or gain LOSAP credit.
A – Why shouldn’t a person in a wheelchair who serves as a Treasurer or Secretary at business meetings be allowed to earn/gain credits? Doesn’t their contribution count as much as those who point the hoses and spray the water….Opps, I forgot, you think only actual fire truck riders should be the only ones allowed to earn LOSAP credits… Are you for Real?
C – If you do not make x amount of emergency responses per year, you should not accrue LOSAP points.
A – I believe the system is set up that they have to contribute a set amount of time, attendance and service in all areas, not just the actual responses… example – .. They have to assist in fund raising to make the money to buy the trucks and equipment they respond on to get to your emergency…Fire Trucks, Ambulances, Ladder and Rescue Trucks don’t just drop out of the sky for the Young to jump on and ride to your emergency…And all these other activities are part of the actual credit earned….One more time now with feeling…Are you Real?
C – There are far too many has been’s and few too many right now’s to continue to pay out for such a system…
A – So I guess in the coming years, all the “few too Many right now’s could look forward to a small stipend for about a year, then just be discarded and forgotten and then they would then become the new “many Has been’s”…I think there was a dictator a few years ago that created a World War with this same type of thinking and mindset…You can’t be real, Right?!?!?
C – Way past due for a full time, Kent County Fire Department! My life and home may depend on it!
A – If you’re not aware of it by now, then I guess you never will be…Your life and Home Do depend on it right now…Doesn’t matter if the LOSAP thing is straightened out or not… You rely on the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services day in and day out, and don’t even realize it…You Depend on the selfless time and service provided freely and willingly by a few hundred individuals in this county who donate their efforts and services (and yes sometimes even their well-being and Lives; 2 Fire Fighters have given their lives in Kent County Md, serving their community…) so you can have a relatively safe and protected life here in Kent County Md. Have you volunteered to be a Fire Fighter or Emergency Medical Technician in Kent County? Do you send in any money when they send out their annual fund raising letters and pleas for help in order to provide you with the best service they can?…
C’mon now…You’re not for Real, Right !?!
LOSAP is a very small and insignificant contribution towards a group of people dedicated to freely serving and protecting the good folks here in Kent County Md. which should be established according to a fair and equitable setup between the County Government and the counties Volunteer Fire Companies… It is unquestionably the best return on your tax dollars of any given service funded wholly or in part by the County tax payer…You receive professional services according to nationally and state established standards by Servant Citizens who are you neighbors… Compare all that with forming and FUNDING a total full time Fire Dept., and then decide what you want…
I am a former Volunteer Fire Fighter here in Kent County with 20+ years of active duty. I am not active nor a member of any Fire Company due to health issues.. I do not receive LOSAP fund, nor will I apply for them. However, all those who are receiving LOSAP and those who will receive LOSAP deserve every penny of it… And the County Taxpayer deserves to obtain the Service, Savings and Protection provided by the LOSAP program….
Keith Thompson says
@Troup
A lot of it comes down to the reason why the economic development office was folded into the tourism office. Was it a cost saving move, was the economic development office not maintaining its ROI, or was it a de-emphasis on economic development. Assuming that the economic development/tourism office had a lot to do with developing the Hopkins Farm Concept (and knowing Bernadette, it’s a pretty good assumption) I think this is a visible ROI. If Bernadette gets her staff request and they don’t deliver, that’s when Fithian and Rasin’s concern comes into play. I see supporting the economic development and tourism office right now as proactive.
Ron Fithian says
The request was not for additional staff. The request was for a pay raise for one of the employees. The office just received an additional employee. When we had two seperate offices, we had four employees. We now have one office with 3 full time employees and a lady who volunterr’s her services.
Rick King says
To “Get a Job”. If you want to make that type of comment, you should at least be prepared to stand behind it by using your name instead of an alias.
sandy says
Thank you to all the brave men and women who put themselves in harms way to VOLUNTEER and respond to the call whatever time of day or night. They respond to car wrecks, fires home/boats/fields/business. THANK YOU!
Keith Thompson says
@Middle Class,
If the average household does something to increase its income (like a pay raise or a new job), it can afford to splurge a little bit. In the case of the Economic Development and Tourism Office, they are requesting additional money to handle an increase in workload that will come about largely because of work they are involved in doing. The fact that they’re looking get a small slice of a revenue pie (that will benefit the county as a whole) in order to keep up with the increase in workload their job is generating, is fair as far as I’m concerned. I think what you should be concerned about is that the small increase in funding for Bernadette Van Pelt’s office should result in other economic development opportunities for the county. When done right, the work of the Economic Development and Tourism Office increases the county’s revenue rather than spends it.