Mobile County commissioners spent Thursday morning working through the details of a proposed 2015 budget that includes across-the-board raises for county employees, even as officials cautioned that finances remain tight. The budget is scheduled to come up for formal approval on September 19, during a rare combined Friday session at Government Plaza.
Projected county revenue for 2015 stands at $123,177,914, an increase of about $1.3 million over 2014 figures. Finance Director Michelle Herman told commissioners she was cautiously optimistic about the numbers, noting an uptick in sales tax revenue during the past fiscal year and pointing out that, unlike prior years, the 2015 budget does not rely on any one-time payments to balance out.
Commission President Connie Hudson said the budget remains “stretched pretty thin,” but noted it represents an improvement over the previous year, when the county faced a projected $5 million shortfall. This year’s gap, by comparison, sits closer to $2 million, which Hudson said was more manageable to close.
Employee raises were a central piece of the discussion. Under the plan, county workers would receive a 5 percent raise spread across two increments — a 2.5 percent bump beginning with the October 2014 pay period, followed by another 2.5 percent increase in April 2015. Officials indicated the increase will likely be classified as a cost-of-living adjustment rather than a merit raise. To help fund the raises, the county trimmed spending elsewhere in the budget, including reductions tied to the county health clinic. Per diem subsistence pay for eligible employees was set at $10 a day.
Sheriff Sam Cochran used the workshop to press commissioners on staffing and pay issues at Mobile Metro Jail, where he said the department continues to operate with a bare-bones crew. Cochran raised concerns about employee retention, noting that new hires often start at pay levels close to those earned by employees with seven or eight years of experience. Commissioner Jerry Carl agreed the disparity needed attention, saying the county needs to find a way to help longer-tenured employees catch up.
Commissioner Merceria Ludgood offered a pointed observation about how past raises have been administered, noting that raises labeled as merit-based in previous years were, in practice, given to everyone regardless of performance. Hudson said the commission remains committed to taking a closer look at how merit raises are structured going forward.
Herman also cautioned that the county’s operational budget currently reflects a slight decrease, just under 1 percent, compared to the prior year, though any funds left unspent by departments at year’s end typically roll over to help supplement operations. Cochran urged commissioners to keep jail funding a priority, warning that any further cuts to his department’s budget could prove seriously disruptive to day-to-day operations at the facility.
Commissioners are expected to finalize the spending plan at the September 19 meeting, when the full budget will be presented for a formal vote.