Ben Hill County unveils $11.56 million proposed FY 2024 budget; manager cites rising EMS, insurance costs

Ben Hill County commissioners held a public hearing Dec. 20, 2023, at the county courthouse annex to present a proposed FY 2024 budget totaling $11,557,565 and a package of special revenue and capital funds, Chairman Steve Taylor said.

The proposed plan covers general revenue and expenditures and identifies separate funds for the sheriff commissary, drug abuse programs, jail operations, special investigations, juvenile services, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) 2021 Fund, E911 operations, the development authority, the LMIG grant fund, SPLOST 2011 and 2017, T-SPLOST and TSPLOST capital funds, 2023 capital projects, and an item described as Perry House/Ed Ward Road. Chairman Steve Taylor introduced the proposal at the start of the hearing.

County Manager Michael Dinnerman told commissioners the budget was difficult to prepare and that county finances were "tight." He said the county is facing rising costs, with emergency medical services expenses having doubled and health insurance costs increasing by about 5 percent. Dinnerman said these pressures produced a lean proposal but described the budget as balanced and "doable" because it was prepared to be accurate and balanced. He also announced that he plans to retire at the end of 2024.

Taylor acknowledged the difficulty of preparing the proposed budget. The public comment period produced no remarks. With no public comment, the hearing record was completed and the meeting was adjourned; the minutes were signed by Chairman Steve Taylor and County Clerk Donna R. Prather.

The transcript and meeting record do not specify a date for final adoption or any subsequent hearings; those next steps were not stated at the hearing.