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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer 

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Commission has approved the budget for the Fiscal Year 2023.

The Commission has a proposed an operational general fund budget of more than $77 million with total revenues short of $167 million.

“In general, I think this has been a very difficult budget as we try to project revenues coming out of COVID periods,” County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “(We’re) looking forward with high gas services, cost of services and labor going up significantly in the last 12 months. Revenues could potentially go down based upon those factors.”

This year’s budget is a significant increase from FY 2022’s roughly $69 million in operational general fund and roughly $151 million in total revenues.

“We budget revenues very conservatively so that we are always hedging that we are on the low side to make sure we are actually covering expenses,” Scroggins said. “And on the expense portion, (it) goes through many reviews before it actually gets placed in the budget.”

The proposed expenditures for FY 2023 operational general fund are more than $76 million. An increase from Fiscal Year 2022 which was around $69 million.

The County Commission has appropriated funds in either the FY 2022 budget or the FY 2023 budget to complete or start the projects as follows:

• Support for School Resource officers (GF)
• Major distribution water main–replacement of existing line along Co Highway 280 (ARPA)
• Water plant connector–Talladega/Shelby and South Plant Connection (ARPA)
• Calera Water Main extension–Extend water main to promote economic growth (ARPA)
• Complete Construction MSW Cell Number 5 at Shelby County Landfill (LF-ES)
• Design and Evaluation of Additional Pod at SCSO Jail–estimated $28 million if constructed after evaluation and bid (GF)
• Cahaba River Park–Finish North Sector Trail Expansion (ADECA-RTP & GF) South Sector (GF & LT)
• Cahaba River Park–South Sector Caretakers House and Pavilion (GF & LT)
• Dunnavant Valley Greenway Phase two Extension (GF)
• Veterans Park–Hoover on Valleydale-Pickleball courts (GF)
• Park Capacity / Improvement Projects or Tourism associated projects (GF and/or LT)
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Response Initiative $808,000 (GF)
• Park Improvement Grants $300,000 (GF)
• Environmental Improvement Projects–Recycling Initiative $160,000 (Landfill/ES)

“We’re excited about the opportunity for some of the upcoming projects,” Scroggins said. “We are going to work on a park project with the city of Helena that we’re excited about.”

The county is also working on projects associated with Veterans park on Valleydale.

“We’re going to be watching all the national indicators very closely to make sure that we’re going to be able to add new amenities and add services across the board,” Scroggins said.

For more information on the Shelby County Commission, visit its website at Shelbyal.com/93/County-Commission.