Dec 15, 2016 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – The Greene County commissioners approved their 2017 budget Thursday, along with contracts with the four unions representing the county’s workers.

The $20.981 million general fund budget includes a 6.2 percent increase in spending, but with no tax increase.

County Chief Clerk Jeff Marshall said the contract negotiations between the four unions came together Monday just as the commissioners were preparing to vote on the final budget.

Each of the four-year contracts extends from this January until December 2020.

“I would say both sides think it’s a fair agreement and in line with previous (contract) agreements,” Marshall said.

He said the biggest cost driver was health insurance, which increased 5-to-8 percent, depending on the contract.

“It’s less than what we’ve seen in the past, but still a significant number,” Marshall said.

The county’s overall spending plan, which also includes the state’s Liquid Fuels tax allocation, 911 fund, Community Development Block Grant money and a variety of human services funds, will reach nearly $31.858 million next year.

Taxes will remain at 6.77 mills for general fund, along with .695 mills for debt services and .07 mills for the library.

Also during the meeting, the commissioners voted to accept $200,000 from the Commonwealth Finance Authority to help with the expansion of the Greene River Trail near Greensboro.

Afterward, during a subsequent retirement board meeting, that board’s members voted to spend $2,500 to hire a consultant to look into the delivery of pension annuities to former workers to ensure the county is in accordance with Act 96.

Marshall said a “handful” of former workers who were not fully vested and had moved their retirement money into have questioned whether they should continue to receive annuities.

The county disagrees with that position, but has asked Korn Ferry Hay Group out of Philadelphia to look into the situation to settle the matter.