After a month of discussion, the Jefferson County Commission voted on March 21 to approve the county budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1 2024 to June 30 2025). There were several questions left unresolved even as the commissioners voted. Facing a deadline to submit the budget the next morning so it could be published and then forwarded to the state, the commissioners approved the budget anyway.
The commissioners appeared very confused about the numbers throughout the budget meetings and even asked the State Auditor’s Office to provide assistance — a request which was quickly declined by the state. At the root of the confusion is the ongoing vacancy in the Finance Director position, a role that the Commission has repeatedly declined to fill for almost a year. Looking further back, there have been 5 different individuals in the Finance Director role since late 2021. Both the County Administrator and Deputy Administrator roles have also had high turnover (chart below). The current County Administrator is performing that role on a temporary “interim” basis and the Deputy Administrator position (responsible for human resources) is also currently vacant.
Related Stories
Jefferson County Commission Passes Budget For Fiscal Year 2025 (The Observer, Mar 27 2024).
Wrestling With The County Budget (The Observer, Mar 27 2024)
Jefferson County Commission Stops Work for Three Months (The Observer, Dec 21 2024)
Jefferson County Commission Misses Grant Deadlines (The Observer, Oct 26 2024)
[More information about the Jefferson County budget]
By Steve Pearson