County board nears final work on annual budget

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A public hearing on the fiscal year 2018-19 Floyd County budget will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 13.

The county Board of Supervisors will listen to any public comments on the budget then approve a final version of the county’s revenue and spending plan for the year beginning July 1.

Supervisors are still working through final details of the budget, but will have the proposal finished in time for publication in the Press by 10 days before the public hearing.

At the supervisors’ regular meeting Tuesday morning, the board discussed one more request for county funding — from the Charles City Broadband Telecommunications Board.

The Charles City Public Access Network routinely videotapes regular meetings of the Board of Supervisors, and other county meetings as requested, then has them available for viewing on the group’s website, charlescitypan.com, as well as on the local access cable television channel, channel 4.

The Telecommunications Board requested $125 per meeting from the county to help pay the costs of providing the coverage, for a total of 24 meetings per year.

“The city of Charles City partners with the Charles City School District to provide PAN director services, purchase and maintenance of equipment and covering the $30 cost for someone to record the meetings,” according to a letter to the supervisors from Mark Wicks, Telecommunications Board commission chairman.

“The commission is seeking total annual compensation from the county of $3,000 to help offset the additional costs associated with providing service for recording supervisor meetings,” the letter said.

That figure breaks down to $30 per meeting to record it, $45 per meeting in pre-meeting and post-meeting production work, and $50 per meeting for use of equipment.

The supervisors took no action on the request, but said they would get in touch with Wicks for more information on the Telecommunications Board’s budget.