In the June 14 issue of the Southern Standard I found the proposed budget for Warren County on page 4B. In reviewing the numbers for 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, I noticed a trend in some departments’ salaries that is not only disconcerting but, to me, also lacks logic.

The salary line item in the General Fund reflects a 16.6% increase from this year to next year, and all that with an increase in employee count of three people from 314 to 317 representing a 0.96% staffing increase. In real money, the 16.6% salary cost increase is the difference of $1,884,132 from this year’s estimated $11,336,623.66 to 2025’s $13,220,755.13. Let that sink in: An increase of three people translates to $1,884,132 more money. I know the Animal Shelter did not get the needed extra employee because the County did not approve one, according to extensive meeting discussions and news coverage the past few weeks. Apparently they couldn’t fit it into that $13,220,755.13 salary budget.

The real headscratcher in the new budget are the line items for salaries in both the General Purpose Schools and the School Central Cafeteria.

The General Purpose Schools propose to increase staff by 15 people, a 1.6% increase from the 2024 totals of 935 employees to a proposed 950. Oddly enough, the increase in staff comes in spite of the fact that the director of schools affirmed in an article in the Southern Standard issue of May 29 that student enrollment was down and teaching staff numbers were being adjusted accordingly. So, we have Dr. Swallows indicating a reduction in teaching staff due to lower enrollment, but the county budget adding 15 people above what the 2024 staffing numbers were. The new salary figure for 2025 is a 15% increase of $5,710,522.48 over the current $37,527,652.52 for a total budget of $43,238,175.00. The question is: What are the 15 new hires going to work at since student enrollment is down?

For the salary expense in the School Central Cafeteria we see an increase of six new proposed hires from the current 95 to 101 in 2025. That’s a 6.32% increase in staff. The salary line item shows an increase $351,211 from this year’s $1,710,289 to next year’s proposed $2,061,500, which translates to a 20.5% bump.

Sylvia Jonathan

McMinnville