Jefferson County will give JCC additional $120,453 this year

Jefferson Community College will get an extra $120,453 from county government for the next academic year, despite one lawmaker's continued objection to the way increases are decided.

Legislator Robert A. Boice, R-Rutland, reminded colleagues Tuesday that county department heads were asked not to request additional funds for both this year's and next year's budgets.

"Our county departments should be our first line of priority. They are the top priority for taxpayers' revenue," he said.

Mr. Boice also argued that authorized agencies, a group of nonprofits that receive county cash annually, provide services that are valuable to the entire population, especially in agriculture and tourism. Yet these groups were also being dissuaded from requesting more money.

"JCC is an important asset in this county, but it is also one of several important services that we have the responsibility of funding," Mr. Boice said. "To do this job correctly, we need to serve equally and address our priorities all at the same time."

The legislator said he would support the resolution to increase funding only if it was amended to say that any additional requests from the college would be decided during the county's budget season, which typically runs from September to November.

The college's fiscal year starts Sept. 1.

Mr. Boice's amendment died after no legislator spoke in support of it, and the original resolution passed, 14-1.

Jefferson County will contribute $4,135,548 to the college in the 2009-10 academic year, or 3 percent more than lawmakers gave last year. The college's board of trustees is expected to approve the school's $21.52 million budget today.

The Legislature was able to find unanimous agreement in adding two voting machine technician positions to the county Board of Elections. The office will now have six full-time and two part-time employees.

The technicians will be responsible for periodically testing the new ballot scanning systems, helping train poll inspectors and educating residents on the new voting procedures.

"This is going to be the most challenging year in the history of elections in the county — and we'll have the congressional election on top of all that," said Republican Elections Commissioner Jerry O. Eaton.

Kristy A. Pickett, deputy Republican elections commissioner, and Patti Shaughnessy, a part-time Democratic registration clerk, will move to the new positions. The salary range for the new jobs is $23,477 to $28,739.

Katrina L. Kampnich, a part-time Republican registration clerk, will be promoted to deputy commissioner. The new part-time Democratic registration clerk has not yet been picked, according to Democratic Elections Commissioner Sean M. Hennessey.