BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County Fiscal Court set the financial direction for the coming year with the first reading of its proposed $11,765,079 Fiscal Year 2025 budget in a meeting May 1.
Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty commended the finance office staff and others who worked to prepare the budget.
“We appreciate everyone’s help,” he said. “We wish we had more funds to expend. That’s something that in later years is going to have to be addressed, but I think we have a good budget this year.”
The budget allocates funds across 15 accounts. The General Fund, earmarked at $2,184,391, represents 18.57% of the total budget. Road maintenance is a priority, with $1,589,500 allocated to the Road Fund, equaling 13.51%.
The Local Government Economic Assistance Fund makes up 9.09% of the budget at $1,069,236. This money comes from the Kentucky coal and mineral severance tax.
The Local Government Economic Development Fund constitutes 10.44% of the budget with an allocation of $1,228,000 from single-county coal severance tax funds. The Occupation Tax Fund contains $1,623,738 and is 13.8% of the total.
Housing inmates will take 4.91% of the budget, an allocation of $57,935.57 to the Jail Fund.
Ensuring emergency response capabilities, the budget includes $464,000 for the 911 Fund, which is 3.94% of the total.
The Federal Grant Fund allocation is $254,000, accounting for 2.16% of the total. The State Grant Fund is $110,100, making up 0.94%. HUD contains $203,300 or 1.73%, while the “HUD Fund” allocation is $1,500 for 0.11%.
The amount set aside for Document Storage is $15,650, representing 0.13%.
Boosting the county’s financial strategy, the American Rescue Plan Act Fund contains $2,001,000, which provides 17.01% of the total.
The Opioid Settlement Fund contains $336,000 to help the county combat the opioid crisis and is 2.86% of the total.
Lafferty and Magistrates Cody Slone, Kermit Howell, Tracy Spence, Junior Hunt and Ronald Workman also heard the first reading of an $862,266 amendment of the FY 2024 budget.
Magistrates approved a resolution authorizing the judge/executive to execute an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Department of Rural and Municipal Aid. The state will provide the county with $894,644 for roads in FY 2025.
“It’s about the same as we got last year,” commented Lafferty.
The judge will apply for the Kentucky Division of Waste Management’s annual $4,000 Waste Tire Grant.
“We’ve been successful the last couple of years in the amount of waste tires that we’ve taken off,” he noted. “So we certainly want to participate.”
The court gave the judge the go-ahead to advertise for bids for gravel and blacktop.
Lafferty also received a green light to apply for a $65,884 Local Match Participation Program grant at the Kentucky Department for Local Government to support Martin County Water District’s generator project.
“We will not be out any funds on this, is my understanding,” said Lafferty.
Magistrates approved the judge’s request for permission to advertise for proposals for the swimming pool.
“This is not for any payment for the swimming pool but is so that we can get some estimates,” Lafferty explained. “So someone can look at the pool and see exactly what needs to be done. Then I can report back to you all and it will be up to the court to decide exactly how you want to proceed from that point. With this, you will have the information in hand about what is wrong with it and how much it would take to open it.”
The court approved Martin County Clerk Susie Skyles’ claim for calculation of motor vehicle and boat bills for 2024. The Department of Revenue certified that the total number of motor vehicle and boat accounts for Martin County was 13,114 as of Jan. 1. The clerk’s office will receive 15 cents for each bill sent out, with the total being $1,967.10 for the year.
Magistrates unanimously voted to pay Primary Election workers, tabulators and board of elections members. That amount came to $4,125. They adopted an annual standing order to pre-approve payment of certain recurring expenses and approved May 2024 claims totaling $407,075.
Magistrates approved the designation of 21 county roads as ATV routes. (See related story.)
There were no comments during a public hearing on the use of the county’s LGEA and Road Aid funds.
In closing, the court announced that weed cutting was underway throughout the county.
Final approval of the budget, amendments and resolutions occurs after their second reading June 20. The new budget commences July 1.