It is budget consideration time in Warren County government and proposed salary increases could be an area of contention. 

“We need to start looking at those because we are running short on time, as usual,” said Commissioner Scott Rubley, chair of the county Budget and Finance Committee.

The county’s fiscal year runs July 1 thru June 30.

“I am almost through with my projects from the revenue side,” said Finance Department director Justin Cotten. “So we’ll have an idea of what we’re looking at based on the numbers I’ve gotten so far to compare those expenses to.”

Rubley faces his first year as chair of Budget and Finance, a committee considered the most influential in establishing the budget. He shares that duty with Commis-sioners Randy England, Cole Taylor, Christy Ross and Tommy Savage.

When asked after the meeting about his first budget impression, Rubley expressed surprise at the number of salary increases requested and the amounts.

“I’m shocked by all the salary increases I’m seeing in the budgets thus far,” said Rubley. “Some department heads are requesting $1,000 and even $2,000 per employee. I can tell you right now I will be against any proposed salary increases until we see the county’s bottom line.” 

Already considered by the county Health and Welfare Committee were the budgets for Warren County Sanitation and Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center. 

The Sanitation Department budget included a $7,000 wage increase for the department’s secretary from $23,000 to $30,000. 

According to Health and Welfare Commi-ttee chair Blaine Wilcher, that specific increase was requested by sanitation director Josh Roberts “due to added workload” undertaken by the secretary. 

Sanitation’s overall budget request was for $1.63 million, an increase of $157,140 from the previous year. The department’s approved budget for 2019-20 was $1.47 million. The majority of that increase was $140,000 for the purchase of building sites, compactors, and roll-off bins. 

Animal Control’s proposed budget included doubling part-time personnel. Approved in the 2019-20 fiscal year budget was $22,295, but requested for the upcoming fiscal year 2020-21 was $45,240. Additionally, the full-time employee’s salary has a $5,140 increase, from $19,760 to $24,900. 

Animal Control’s overall budget request was for $190,344, an increase of $53,085 from the previous year. 

The department’s approved budget for 2019-20 was $137,259. 

Both director salaries remained unchanged in the proposed budgets. 

No date was set for the Budget and Finance Committee to being reviewing proposed budgets.