The Union County General Fund 101 Budget passed one more hurdle on June 4, 2024, when the Union County Budget Committee sent its recommendations to County Commission for consideration on Monday, June 10.

Fund 101 received two changes at the Budget Committee Meeting. A motion by Commissioner Greg Dyer and a second by Commissioner Dawn Flatford to cut $8,000 from the travel line of the Election Commission was approved with Commissioners Dyer, Flatford, Lay, and Moore voting in favor of the motion and Commissioners Simmons and Walker voting against. A second motion to cut $50,000 from the 51900 line and use DAG money for the $50,000 passed unanimously. Mayor Bailey cautioned that DAG money is not recurring and the expense would reappear in future budgets.

Fund 101 nearly hit a roadblock on salaries. Two years ago Union County formulated a county-wide pay scale for county employees but excluding the school system. Sheriff Breeding requested and received increases mid budget for some of his deputies. During this budget some of the departments varied the employee pay raises to give from 2% to 21% increases which caused the Budget Committee to wonder why the salary schedule was ever established. Of course the departments as well as Mayor Bailey maintained that the pay increases did not cause a tax increase. Commissioner Greg Dyer attempted to resolve the situation by discussing various increases including a 10% across the scale. But with no consensus in sight, Vice Mayor Sidney Jessee, who is not on the Budget Committee, asked the Budget Committee to send the amended budget to County Commission and let the Commission wrestle with the salary issues. So the Budget Committee recommended the budget as amended to County Commission for consideration on June 10, 2024, at 7:00 in the large courtroom.