Bartholomew County Council members have given final approval to a $71.8 million budget for county government in 2025.
The budget is 6% higher than the $67.8 million approved for the 2024 budget, and nearly 25% higher than the 2023 spending plan of $57.5 million.
Budgeted is a 4% increase in pay for the county’s more than 400 employees — the same budgeted increase that was approved for 2024.
Next year’s budget includes $38.42 million from the property tax-supported county general fund – a nearly 10% increase from the $34.97 million approved for this year.
The spending plan also includes $33.4 million in home-ruled funds generated by local income tax (LIT) revenue, grants, fees and other miscellaneous forms of income. That’s about 2% higher than the $32.8 million for 2024.
The 2025 budget earmarks $996,476 to provide 24/7 medical care at the Bartholomew County Jail. The county has outsourced their medical services to Quality Correction Care of Carmel.
The sheriff’s office has also outsourced food service at the jail to Trinity Service Group of Florida. While the county will pay $650,000 next year for food, labor, maintenance and supplies in the jail’s kitchen, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Maj. Brandon Slate estimated that up to $50,000 will be saved annually because food service workers are no longer county employees.
An additional $315,000 is included in the budget for new patrol vehicles, as well as a $213,000 increase in employer contributions to the pensions of retired sheriffs personnel.
The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District (SWMD) has a budget separate from the rest of the county. The SWMD is requesting $5.48 million next year, compared to $4.01 million approved a year ago for 2024. Additional funding is necessary to construct a new cell at the county landfill near Walesboro, district director Heather Siesel said previously.
