Beech Tree News Network

It was relatively short and orderly but the results were the same as last week - no budget.  With only one item on the called meeting agenda, Butler County Fiscal Court, earlier this evening, rejected a county budget for FY 2015-16 on a 3-2 vote - the same budget they approved at a meeting last week that was ultimately discarded due to procedural violations.  All magistrates were in attendance at Tuesday's meeting:  Stevie Givens (1st District), Johnny Tuck (2nd District), Chad Tyree (3rd District), David Whittinghill (4th District), and Bobby Moore (5th District).

Magistrate Stevie Givens made the motion and Magistrate Johnny Tuck provided the second to approve the first reading of the projected 2015-16 budget - the revised budget that restored funding to the Boys & Girls Club, fire departments and the sheriff's department.  That budget was approved last Tuesday, May 26, on a 4-1 vote with only Magistrate Givens voting no at the time.

Givens' motion prompted Magistrate David Whittinghill to ask, "What are we going to do next year with only $272,000 in surplus?”  Nobody answered Whittinghill's question.

Magistrate Chad Tyree had prepared a chart of the history and overview of the county's General Fund from 2010-2016 on the white board in the meeting room.  Tyree explained the board to the court.  According to Tyree, the General Fund is impacted by every office in the courthouse. After Tyree's presentation, Judge-Executive David Fields called for a roll call vote.

Magistrate Bobby Moore and Magistrate Johnny Tuck voted for the budget.  Magistrates Tyree, Givens, and Whittinghill voted against the measure.

The county is required by law to have a budget in place no later than July 1 of each year.  The next regular Fiscal Court meeting is Monday, June 8, at 5 p.m. at the Butler County Courthouse.  However, magistrates may decide to take up the budget at another called meeting or to hold additional work sessions.