CARROLLTON - Carroll County enters the new fiscal year with an increase of almost $600,000.
The new budget, approved last month, is for nearly $9.5 million, an increase of $593,272 from the county's budget for 1999-2000.
The 11/2 mill increase includes 1 mill for road maintenance, said Chancery Clerk Sugar Mullins. The other half-mill is earmarked for the fire fund.
A mill is worth between $38,000 and $40,000, Mullins said. Total millage under the new budget is 91.45.
Schools get the second largest chunk at 24.31 mills, while the general fund gets the most money at 37.56 mills.
Public safety, which includes fire, ambulance service and the sheriff's department, takes the biggest single bite from the new budget with close to $3 million from special revenues and $690,191 from the general fund, said Patricia Noah, the county's bookkeeper.
The new Carroll-Montgomery Regional Correctional Facility gets most of that with $2.7 million for the new fiscal year. The sheriff's department has a budget of $492,056.
The bulk of the county's employees work for the new jail and the sheriff's office, Mullins said. The regional jail opened in May 1999 and is under the direction of the sheriff.
