No cost of living raises for Calhoun County Employees

The Calhoun County Commission learned Thursday there will be no money in its 2015 budget to either hire new full-time employees or provide cost-of-living raises to existing workers.

However, all county employees will receive a one-time payment of $500 in place of the cost-of-living raise.

Commissioners were told that planned expenditures outweighed projected revenue in the budget.

 County revenue is projected to  increase by less than 1 percent, contrasted with a 2.6 percent increase in expenses due to “unusually high health insurance claims.”

County Administrator Ken Joiner said the agency saw four or five expensive claims this year alone, when they’re normally spaced out. The county provides self-funded insurance to about 225 employees.

 health insurance rates are expected to increase 6 percent this year as a result of the claims. The county will absorb 60 percent of those increased costs, with employees covering the remaining 40.

The county expects to spend $15.8 million during fiscal year 2015, $386,036 more than it did this year. Forty-six percent of those expenditures are law enforcement-related.

Calhoun County projects $15.5 million in revenue, leaving a balance of $336,961 in expenses to be paid with money from reserves.