WALHALLA — Oconee County likely will have to spend close to $100 million over the next 10 years to address pressing needs, Finance Director and Assistant Administrator Kendra Brown told the County Council this week.
The preliminary report comes as elected officials are pressed to explain why Oconee has amassed cash reserves that surpass the current $43.6 million budget as amended at Tuesday night’s Council meeting.
Brown delivered her report six months after directed by Council to do so after she and her Finance Department staff discovered that the county had rolled over more than $6.6 million of unspent capital funds from previous years.
Brown said the county is looking at dishing out more than $97 million over the next 10 years on capital projects, including $54.1 million in the next three years to cover such things as additional jail space, modifications to the courthouse to comply with American with Disabilities Act requirements, a new fire station for Westminster and replacement of Cobb Bridge.
The list of needs, which does not include projects that would cost less than $100,000, has yet to be reviewed by council.
Brown said the list is preliminary and intended to show priorities and a financial plan for the future.
“We want to be ready for big expenditures,” Brown said.
Later in the meeting, Councilman Paul Corbeil unveiled a new set of financial figures that show the county has in hand $49.4 million as of June 30. However, Corbeil said the total amount is misleading.
He said that when deductions are made, including keeping an $18 million cushion for six months to maintain bond rating and for emergencies, as well as $9.1 million for pending capital projects, the actual remaining cash balance dwindles to $601,966. He said that does not address an additional $23 million needed to expand and improve the jail, make improvements to the courthouse and cover health care liabilities.
But observers contend that Corbeil’s figures fail to take into account new tax revenue that would have come into the county’s coffers since June 30.
Tax collections from July 1 through Dec. 31 of 2008 brought $14.3 million in to the county.
In another development, Council unanimously approved a contract with The Mercer Group of Atlanta to help Oconee hire a new county administrator.
Jim Mercer, the firm’s founder, told council that it is getting more difficult to find good help because “the good ones are happy where they are.” He said a lot of people are hunkered down because of the economy.
“The pool is beginning to dry up,” Mercer said.
carlos@dailyjm.com | (864) 882-2375
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November 5, 2009
7:20 a.m.Report inappropriate content
After all the planning and then the spending the tax payer’s money to build the new court house we find that the architects (Stephen Rhoads) who designed our new court house didn’t design it to ADA standards or OSHA requirements. This is appalling, if this design had been constructed any where else the architects would have been sued. They knew what the requirements were for OSHA and ADA as they are government codes and regulations that apply to ALL commercial buildings – plus you need to know these things in order to pass the ADA exam to become certified. Now they are talking about having to have the Court House updated to make it up to these standards when it should have been done when the court house was originally designed and constructed. Without adhering to these regulations a commercial building in any other part of the country would not have been allowed to be opened to the public. Why was it allowed? This also shows the competency of our codes officials.
Then it is decided to add an addition to the detention center. Everyone thought it would be for the inmates – but oh no, it is for offices and guess what most of these offices are sitting empty. Why is this? Why in the world would they spend the tax payer’s money on offices that were not going to be used and are sitting empty still today?
Now they want to hire another Architect (Mosley Architects) and build yet another addition or new detention facility. I wonder if this Architect competent enough to implement the codes and standards for commercial design into the detention center so we the tax payer’s will not have to pay another bill after the construction of the building to make the building up to Government Code Standards.
The question is; Will Oconee County hire a competent architectural firm to design this structure and a competent contractor to build it to the required standards and codes?
AND: How much more tax payer money is the county going to waste on buildings that don't work or are not suited for the public? This is absolutely appalling and sick.
November 5, 2009
8:53 a.m.Report inappropriate content
"Councilman Paul Corbeil unveiled a new set of financial figures"
And without an audit too! Did he use a magic black hat and wand?