From Mirror staff reports

BEDFORD — Multiple Bedford County departments requested additional funds from the county commissioners at budget hearings Tuesday.

The 911 center is looking for an additional $40,070 for a pay increase for all employees and office equipment. For the requested pay increase, the department is asking for $27,000, as well as $1,970 for a shift difference increase of $0.35 per hour. The rest of the $11,100 would be spent on computers, office chairs and headset replacement for the center.

The county’s 911 center has a total estimated expenditure of $1,124,794 for 2019 and brings in $1,007,000 in revenue. The 2018 general fund budget for the department is $91,349, but the center is asking for about $117,000 to cover next year’s expenditures.

The county treasurer’s office requested a several hundred dollar increase to cover proposed staff salary increases. Melissa Cottle, treasurer, asked for $49,575 for the director’s salary, an increase from the $48,842 salary for 2018. Cottle also requested a $1 per hour increase for the deputy treasurer, $21,650 for 2019 compared with $21,225 from 2018. The treasurer’s office requested $90,675 from the county. The 2018 budget for the department is $90,432.

The maintenance department requested $389,700 for 2019, not including the costs of proposed capital purchases. Maintenance has a budget of $447,864 for 2018. Maintenance Director Dale Gates asked for an additional $272,000 for capital purchases, including courthouse painting, basement waterproofing and other projects to the library building, parking garage and the Lyon House.

Commissioner Josh Lang told Gates the county could not cover the expenses all of those projects and asked him to prioritize the proposed maintenance projects. Gates said the courthouse painting, basement waterproofing and carpeting the county building are some of the top priorities. The proposed projects would cost an estimated $41,000, according to Gates.

The assessment and claims department requested $322,371 for 2019, a jump from the $298,571 2018 budget. The proposed budget in­crease request would cover computer services cost in­creases, a vehicle lease, a com­puter replacement and an employee pay increase. Joyce Hillegass, the department’s director, asked the county commissioners for a pay increase of $0.75 per hour for Reine Akers, who maintains most of the tax collections. Computer services are expected to cost $96,500 for 2019 compared with $81,770 budgeted for 2018.

Assessment estimates should bring in $28,500 by the end of this year. Tax claim estimates will total $330,000 for 2018. An additional $23,931 is expected from interim bills printed and $49,490 from annual appeals.