The Putnam County Commission approved expenditures of $21,406,008 for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2022 at it March 24th meeting. County Manager Jeremy Young said that the projected revenue (also $21,406,008) did not include any federal or state grants or an increase in Ambulance fees resulting from the county assuming EMS service which the City of Hurricane has relinquished.
Young stated that the county is projected to receive a 6% increase in property tax revenue but that the increase does not reflect an increase in rates. “Putnam’s rate is the fourth lowest in the state,” Young stated. The increase in revenue is due to increased property values.
The $21.4 million budget includes specific pay increases for the Sheriff’s department and general increases for other county offices. Young said that Deputy Sheriffs will receive 9% increases; Corporals, 9.7%; Sergeants, 11%; and Lieutenants, 14.8%. These increases will make Putnam competitive with surrounding counties and municipalities.
Other pay increases will vary and be determined by the elected official heading the department. The departments received the following budget increases over the current fiscal year: County Clerk – 3.5%, Prosecuting Attorney – 4%, Sheriff-Treasurer – 4.5%, Assessor – 4.5%, and Circuit Clerk – 0%. In some instances, only a portion of the increase will be available for increased pay checks.
The $21.4 million budget is up from the $21.1 million which was budgeted for 2021-2022 but less than the $22.0 million which was budgeted for 2020-2021.
In other business, Morgan Tenney, Executive Director of the Putnam County Development Authority, requested a Resolution of Support for a grant application to the West Virginia Development Office. Tenney said that up to $400,000 is available through the State for an access road to the property opposite the Toyota Plant. Plans call for KC Logistics (the shipping company for Toyota) to build a facility on land which has been a soy bean field in recent years. The county does not need to match the $400,000.
After interviewing Mead and Hunt, Triad Engineering, and S&S Engineers, the Commission voted to award the engineering services contract for the design of multiple communication tower sites within Putnam County to Triad Engineering.
The Commission approved the low bid of $9,332,000 by Swope Construction to build the new Putnam County Sheriff Headquarters. Construction is projected to be complete within 365 days of the start.
