The Vance County Board of Commissioners declined the setting of a budget schedule during their regular monthly meeting yesterday.
The schedule presented by County Manager Jerry Ayscue set specific dates when different aspects of the budget were to be completed.
The schedule was presented in response to remarks made by Commissioner Dan Brummitt at an earlier meeting to the effect that the budget was delivered with too little time to be properly evaluated before adoption by June 30 as stipulated by law.
Brummitt did not attend yesterday’s meeting due to having what was characterized by Commissioner Danny Wright as “minor surgery”.
Commissioner Scott Hughes stated that he agreed with a previous remark of Commissioner Terry Garrison that the schedule is a form of “micromanagement”. He said that it would be better for the commission to set a target date for completion of the budget, suggesting May 15.
Commissioner Deborah Brown expressed agreement, stating a need for flexibility. She also said that there may be problems “meeting these specific dates”.
Garrison suggested having mid-year budget reviews from each county department. He said that sometimes surplus funds are found that can revert to general funds, or departments find that they don’t anticipate using some funds. He asked that the reviews be received during the commission’s planning retreat.
“I think that is as far as we can go with that,” Garrison said.
“The last thing a department head needs is seven bosses,” Danny Wright rejoined.
A motion made by Commissioner Eddie Wright and seconded by Brown to receive the budget on May 15 and pass it on June 15 received a unanimous vote from the board. Mid-year budget reviews were also approved.