The Chilton County Commission met during a work session on Monday for a budget hearing with county department heads.

“I think overall, the budget hearing was great,” said Commission Chairman Allen Caton. “This was the first time we have ever brought them in before the commission and discussed their budgets. I meet with them on a quarterly basis, but the commission is going to start meeting with the department heads regularly. It is a good time for us to find out what is going on with their departments, if there are any problems they are having and if there is anything we can do for them.”

Each department head was given a 15-minute time slot on Monday night to come before the commission and discuss their current budgets.

“Our funds are so limited that we have to have these budget hearings,” Caton said. “If someone starts running out of money, there is no money to fix their budget.”

Chilton County Engineer Tony Wearren, Chilton County Industrial Development Coordinator Fred Crawford, Minooka Park Manager Gerald Arrington, Chilton County Probate Judge Bobby Martin, Tax Assessor Rex Cleckler, Chilton County Transit Authority Director Jessica Carter and Sheriff Kevin Davis met with commissioners to go over different line items and answer any questions from the commission regarding the budgets.

Commissioners talked with Arrington regarding different ways to see the parks in Chilton County continue to grow.

“When people come to Minooka Park, they buy gas and go to the grocery store and the county benefits from those people coming to the park,” Caton said.

Commissioner Shannon Welch said with the location of the county being in the center of the state, Minooka Park and Higgins Ferry Park offered a unique attraction to people wanting to visit.

“I think we will see growth with the parks in the county,” Welch said. “I never thought we would see the airport become self-sufficient, and we are almost to that point. You never know what the parks are capable of.”

Wearren told the commission he didn’t foresee any problems with his budget but discussed how he was transferring funds to pay for pipe and stone to repair roads damaged by flooding.

“We are trying to get the roads passable and in shape where the public can travel on them,” Wearren said.

Davis met with the commission regarding the budget for the sheriff’s department and told commissioners he was on track to balance his budget for the current fiscal year.

Commissioner Joseph Parnell told Davis he was concerned with how Davis was going to meet his budget with three line items in his budget costing a lot of money.

“Your largest ticket items are wages and other, repair and fuel,” Parnell said. “I am just concerned with if you keep going like this until October, do you think you are going to have enough money in your budget to cover the cost of these items?”

Davis said the cost of vehicle maintenance would be reduced with four new vehicles going on the road next week for the sheriff’s department.

The commission voted in November 2013 to give Davis $100,000 to purchase more vehicles.

“Having new vehicles on the road will help a lot with the vehicle maintenance,” Davis said.

Caton asked Davis if he had a plan in place if before October he found he was not going to meet his budget.

“Yes, I have a plan,” Davis said.

Commissioners concluded the budget hearing by discussing how they were pleased that everyone was operating within their budgets.

“We heard good news tonight,” Welch said. “Everyone is doing good and is within a percent or two of their budgets.”

Caton said on Tuesday that several department heads thanked commissioners for holding the budget hearing.

“I think it was a good thing for us to meet with everyone, and we are all looking forward to doing this again,” Caton said.