The Wayne County Fiscal Court met in a special-called session Thursday evening at
the courthouse, with Judge Executive Scott Gehring and all magistrates present to
address a variety of county matters, ranging from budget amendments to road repairs
and public safety upgrades.
Dawn Harmon, the County Finance Chief, presented a first reading of the second
amendment to the Fiscal Year ‘26 budget. The amendment increases revenue by
$123,293.and amends expenditures by the same amount. No action was necessary
since it was the first reading.
The standard November pay increase for county employees was approved by
magistrates at $234.06 for full time and $109.35 for part time.
One of the more notable items was the court’s approval of an outstanding legal bill
totaling $56,271.09 to the law firm Frost, Brown, & Todd Attorneys at Law. The
payment covers services and expenses related to a long-running natural gas project,
with billing dates from April 27, 2022 through January 31, 2024. This bill, dated February 20, 2024 sought pay for 129.5 hours of work by the firm, had been the subject of on going negotiations by County Attorney
Tom Simmons. In a letter from Attorney Thomas L. Gabelman, he noted the bill had
been “held….as long as possible.” Originally it was billed at $65,664.29 but through
months of negotiations by Simmons, the firm agreed to settle for a lesser amount.
In response to delays in acquiring blacktop from the county’s usual suppliers, Judge
Gehring requested magistrates declare a state of emergency, allowing the county to
purchase blacktop from Gaddie Shamrock in Albany at a flat rate of $82 per ton. The
measure was unanimously approved to enable the county to move forward with urgent
road repairs.
Wayne County EMS reported receiving a grant of $81,535, which will partially fund the
purchase of three Lucas Chest Compression Devices from Stryker Medical. The court
approved the purchase at a total cost of $82,684. The automated devices are
designed to perform consistent, hands-free CPR during cardiac arrest, providing
crucial aid during emergency response. Additionally, magistrates also approved adding
staff at WCEMS, agreeing to hire Austin Gretz as part time paramedic with starting pay
at $19 hourly, and Tessa Sharp, as part time emergency medical technician (EMT) at
$16 hourly.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office settlement audit was presented during the meeting.
Jailer Ronnie Ellis introduced an updated Prisoner Transport Policy and Procedure,
which the court voted to accept.
In other financial matters, the court awarded $491.64 to Wayne County Middle School
for Red Ribbon Week, using funds from the county’s opioid abatement money.
Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Administrator, Shelbi Mitchell, also provided a report,
noting $3,541 in revenue and one recent compliance check.
It was also noted during the meeting that the county had received $14,059.05 in
occupational tax revenue from the City of Monticello.
Before adjourning, the court rescheduled its November meeting to Monday, November
10th at 6 PM.