CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Multiple county agencies laid out their proposed budgets to the Kanawha County Commission Thursday.
Proposed budgets from the circuit clerk, county clerk, sheriff’s department and assessor’s office were all flat. The prosecutor’s office, though, said they did not have a flat budget.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ken Bannon was on hand to present his office’s proposed budget.
“The proposed budget is not flat,” Bannon told commissioners.
The prosecutor’s office handled a much larger case load in 2023. Bannon said they took on 26,628 cases in circuit court and magistrate court. That number was just over 15,000 in 2021, according to Bannon.
With the addition of three magistrate courts and one circuit court to Kanawha County following 2023 passed legislation, Bannon said their office will need $259,700 for five additional staff members. Bannon believes an additional $131,000 will be needed for more circuit court staff.
“The other thing that is affecting the budget dramatically is an unfunded mandate which is the increase in one additional circuit court and three additional magistrates,” said Bannon.
Expansion to the Judicial Building is still in the planning stages.
Something that a lot of agencies have to take on too is the increase in PEIA costs. Kanawha County will have to pay $500,000 for that next fiscal year. Other than that, all other budgets are flat besides from the prosecuting attorney’s office.
It’s estimated that the county is up $1.2 million in revenue over the 2024 fiscal year revenue. However, the PEIA increase will take nearly most of that figure out. Commissioners said PEIA and other needs could be around $1.1 million.
As a part of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office proposed budget, their biggest concerns are payments on oil, gas and tires. Sheriff Mike Rutherford said rising gas and oil prices have become noticeable for them.
“It looks like it’s going to be about $72,000 to keep us in the black,” Sheriff Rutherford said.
About every five years, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office looks into updating their computer servers. Sheriff Rutherford requested $95,000 for that. The Sheriff’s Office is also seeking just over $157,000 in pay raises for it’s staff members.
“If there’s money in the budget that we didn’t foresee and we can help out all of our employees, I’m in favor of that,” said Wheeler.
The next commission meeting is scheduled for March 7 at 5 p.m. The final budget is expected to be voted then.