County commissioners work privately ahead of budget presentation

ELIZABETHTOWN — County Manager Greg Martin is scheduled to present commissioners with the fiscal year 2020-21 budget Monday.

The regularly scheduled meeting of the county commissioners is expected to be the first of two in eight days and three in 15. At their last meeting, commissioners were in consensus to schedule a June 8 public hearing on the budget. The second regular meeting of the commissioners is set for June 15.

The route to this year’s presentation, so far, has been less public than a year ago. A $57.1 million document was approved June 17, 2019, in a regular meeting, though at that meeting the panel nearly forgot to officially vote on the matter.

They got to that point with five public meetings of the full board, plus before that some limited discussion and updates at two sessions of a planning retreat. One meeting in particular, June 7, went awry when three commissioners walked out.

This year, the five Republicans and four Democrats have met privately in groups of three or four with Martin and the county finance director, Lisa Coleman, present. The meetings were held in a series over three days in April, and two days in May.

In its meetings March 9, March 20 and April 6, the small group meetings were not announced. The board canceled its April 20 meeting because of the coronavirus.

Chairman Ray Britt attended all six, and each of the other commissioners attended two — one in April, one in May. Combinations were never the same.

Two of the six meetings included three commissioners, each one having Britt, another Republican and Democrat Russell Priest. Only two meetings had at least two Democrats — April 15 with Dr. Ophelia Munn-Goins and Arthur Bullock joining Britt and Daniel Dowless, and May 5 with Munn-Goins and Michael Cogdell joining Britt and Ashley Trivette.

Commissioners last year heard requests from, among others, Sheriff Jim McVicker, Department of Social Services Director Vickie Smith and Bladen Community College President Dr. Amanda Lee at the public meetings. Lee’s presentation request this year was last week, after the series of small group meetings.

Several department heads also appeared at last year’s meetings.

Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson asked last week about all commissioners meeting before the public hearing. There was no detection in the group to accomplish that beyond when they are already scheduled to meet next week.

The budget, by law, has to be in place by July 1 when the fiscal year begins.