Most county employees can expect nearly a 3.4 percent pay increase in the coming fiscal year.

At a special-called meeting Thursday (June 22) the Fiscal Court approved the raises of 3.385 percent, a rate equal to the growth in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Exceptions to the across the board increases were the law librarian ($600 a year), the road supervisor ($40,000 a year), the emergency management coordinator ($23,400 a year) and election board members ($100 a month).

At the same meeting, the court heard and approved the second and final reading of the budget for 2006-07 (starting July 1, 2006) with no changes from the first reading.

Totals in each fund category include: General fund ($1.8 million); road fund ($2.8 million); jail fund ($10.3 million); LGEA fund $126,300); federal grant fund ($1.2 million); homeland security fund ($653, 600); and emergency 911 fund ($507,200).

Of interest to many is the road fund. The total budget is broken down a follows: $49,000 for debt service, $600,000 for administration and $2.1 million for county roads.

County residents can read the budget at the County Judge-Executive's Office during normal business hours.