Final Vote On Budget Set for Thursday, June 26
WINNSBORO – With third reading and a public hearing looming on the Fairfield County budget, the good news is that, this year, the county’s administration has made the draft budget public – really public – on the web and at the library for all to see. This is a change from last year when the entire Fairfield County population had access to only one copy of the budget that was tethered to a desk in the lobby of the Fairfield County Government complex for inspection.
The FY 2025-26 draft budget of $41,949,218 is an almost $1 million increase over the FY 2024-25 budget of $440,235,762. Notable departmental increases in this fiscal year’s budget include an almost $200,000 increase in the finance department over what it spent last fiscal year. Salaries and benefits in the department increased from $531,968 in the 2023-24 budget to $671,313 in the 2025-26 budget, a 26 percent increase. After the finance department was late with the audit again this year, council contracted with an outside service for $40,000 to get the county’s accounting in shape to be audited.
The Clerk to Court draft budget calls for a 30 percent increase in salaries, from $164,265 actually spent in 2024-25 to a proposal of $193,680 in the 2025-26 budget. In addition to increased salaries, the cost for additional temporary/fill-in positions will increase from $6,555 spent last year to $10,000 proposed for 2025-26. The total cost for state retirement for the department will increase from $29,422 spent last fiscal year to $80,164 in the proposed budget, an increase of $50,742.
The county also budgets more than $500,000 for 16 outside agencies that are already funded by state and/or federal government.
Next year’s budget for county council, at $482,908, exceeds the department’s spending last fiscal year by $222,618. The draft budget includes $185,000 for ‘other contractual services.’
Animal control will also see an increase in funding from $737,372 budgeted in 2024-25 to $924,247 in the proposed budget.
In the General operations account, the total contingency fund will increase by over half from $600,000 last fiscal year to $1,253,455 in the 2025-26 draft budget. That increase is due to $500,000 being added in general contingency and $753,455 for personnel.
The fire service is looking at an increase from $1,491,502 in last year’s budget to $1,670,985 in the proposed budget. EMS, however, will see a decrease from $4,967,059 last year to $4,624,874 in the proposed budget. Most of that decrease will come from salaries and benefits.
The 2025-26 budget proposes cutting the WIOA funding to $475,456 from $821,972 in 2024-25. Much of those cuts come from decreased spending on tuition and tuition assistance, internships, mileage, and salaries.
Third reading and a public hearing on the proposed budget will be held Thursday, June 26, at the county government complex located at 250 N. Walnut Street in Winnsboro. To speak during the public hearing, sign up prior to the meeting which starts at 6 p.m.
The draft budget can also be viewed at the County Library at 300 W. Washington Street.