Bebe HeiskellLaFAYETTE, Ga. - Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell approved a budget cut during a hearing Wednesday morning.
The county is scheduled to spend about $600,000 less in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. This coincides with Heiskell's decision to decrease property taxes by about 5.4 percent - though it's difficult to determine the impact on individual households, as the county also re-evaluated property for the first time in 12 years.
Wednesday's meeting lasted about 10 minutes, without any discussion from county department heads. This was the second hearing on the budget.
"If any amendments have to be made, we'll make them in a public meeting," Heiskell said. "We sometimes have to, depending on circumstances."
Of the budget cuts, about one-third are coming from the paved streets category. Heiskell has set aside $668,000 this year - a drop of about $245,000 from last year. Heiskell said she isn't sure how the cuts will impact the county's roads department.
She said most money for paved streets comes from federal and state funding, though the county has to put in some work before the roads get rolled.
"The paving comes from something outside of the general fund," she said during her hearing last week. "But you need to prepare the roads."
Walker County Roads Superintendent Jeff Long did not return multiple calls or an email seeking comment.
Meanwhile, Heiskell is setting aside $580,000 for Juvenile Court this year, an increase of about $166,000 from the current budget. County Attorney Don Oliver said the jump in funding is because of recent Georgia Supreme Court rulings that bring more attorneys - and more cost - into cases with juveniles.
In deprivation cases, in which parents could lose custody of a child, the child gets a guardian ad litem - someone who will investigate the family and decide the best decision for the child. But sometimes, the child doesn't agree with the guardian ad litem. And as a result, the children can have their own attorneys, also.
In addition, the supreme court has also ruled that two lawyers from local public defenders' offices can't handle co-defendants. So the local Juvenile Court judge has to find another lawyer from a private firm to represent at least one defendant.
"A lot of these folks now have to have individual attorneys, which we didn't use to have to do," Oliver said.
To offset these added expenses, Heiskell has decreased funding for Superior Court and state court by about $165,000. She said the Superior Court drop is because of Judge Jon "Bo" Wood's retirement in October. The county won't have to pay another judge until Gov. Nathan Deal appoints Wood's replacement.
The county cut state court spending by $110,000. Heiskell isn't sure how the court will handle the change.
"They're just going to have to cut their office expenses and what they spend," Heiskell said. "That's all."
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfree press.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.