— The Limestone County Commission passed its budget and appropriations for fiscal year 2012-2013 Monday, though county leaders say there are few surprises over the previous year.

Total expenses are estimated at $31,725,517, which is an increase of $1,892,986 over the previous year. General Fund expenditures and revenues are estimated at a little more than $12.9 million, whereas General Fund expenses and revenues the previous year were $12.3 million.

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Department, which constitutes nearly 63 percent of the General Fund, saw its budget expenditures increase from $7.7 million in 2012 to more than $8.1 million in 2013. Part of that increase is owed to the hire of an additional investigator for the department.

An additional $25,000 was also added to the General Fund after the commission decided to help fund an employee at the county’s soil and water conservation office. Commission Chairman Stanley Menefee said Limestone had been one of the only counties in the state to not contribute to its local soil and water office.

The county was also able to provide employees with a 3 percent cost of living adjustment, which it also approved last year.

An added expenditure for the county this year related to $500,000 set aside for a local office for the local legislative delegation. Those funds were made possible through the TVA-in-lieu-of-tax bill sponsored in the House by State Rep. Dan Williams, R-Athens, and in the Senate by Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison.

The county has received the money, but it has remained in a trust fund because it can only be spent on the legislative office.

Gasoline tax fund expenses, used for road projects and maintenance in each of the four districts, are projected to be $3.56 million. Resurfacing, Restoration and Rehabilitation Fund expenses, also used for road projects, are projected to be $1.35 million.

The General Fund breakdown is as follows:

• County Commission: $1,147,330 (+ $59,503 over 2012);

• Work on private property D1: $32,410 (no change from 2012)

• Work on private property D2: $14,420 (no change from 2012)

• Work on private property D3: $14,420 (no change from 2012)

• Work on private property D4: $23,920 (+ $2,500 over 2012)

• Circuit courts: $237,812 (- $62398 under 2012)

• Circuit court-judges: $4,500 (+ $180 over 2012)

• District court-judges: $1,500 (+$500 over 2012)

• Circuit clerk-courts: $14,965 (+ $900 over 2012)

• Court reporter-courts: $5,170 (+ $370 over 2012)

• Probate judge’s office: $720,068 (+ $28,992 over 2012)

• Supernumerary revenue commissioner: $35,625 (no change from 2012)

• Elections: $286,900 (+ $4,245 over 2012)

• Board of Registrars: $71,487 (+ $1,837 over 2012)

• Driver’s license examiner: $8,405 (+ $400 over 2012)

• Farmers market: $15,685 (+ $11,975 over 2012)

• Subdivision regulations: $63,691 (+ $2,351 over 2012)

• Veterans service office: $11,260 (+ $831 over 2012)

• Forestry commission: $7,605 (- $1,548 under 2012)

• RC&D: $3,000 (no change from 2012)

• Industrial Development Board: $90,000 (no change from 2012)

• Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature: $1,500 (no change from 2012)

• Information technology: $455,488 (- $22,925 under 2012)

• Sheriff’s Department: $4,173,908 (+ $239,058 over 2012)

• County jail: $3,504,270 (+ $123,137 over 2012)

• County coroner’s office: $107,624 (+ $38,500 over 2012)

• Youth services: $118,535 (+ $10,665 over 2012)

• Safety committee: $1,400 (no change from 2012)

• Courthouse security: $207,615 (+ $13,848 over 2012)

• Water & Sewer Department: $10,450 (no change from 2012)

• Health office: $2,500 (+ $250 over 2012)

• North Alabama Mental Health: $1,725 (+ $25 over 2012)

• American Red Cross: $2,500 (no change from 2012)

• Services for the indigent: $2,000 (no change from 2012)

• Boys & Girls Club: $2,500 (no change from 2012)

• Limestone County Family Resource Center: $20,000 (no change from 2012)

• Limestone County Child Advocacy Center: $20,000 (no change from 2012)

• Community Action Partnership: $5,000 (no change from 2012)

• Spirit of Athens: $15,000 (no change from 2012)

• Art on the Square: $2,500 (no change from 2012)

• Parks and recreation: $31,300 (+ $200 over 2012)

• Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives: $32,250 (+ $1,500 over 2012)

• County Archives: $139,429 (- $19,289 under 2012)

• County Board of Education: $106,837 (+ $7,122 over 2012)

• Extension service: $37,790 (+ $2,085 over 2012)

• Learn to Read Council: $5,000 (no change from 2012)

• Pryor Field Airport Authority: $30,000 (no change from 2012)

• Houston Memorial Library: $16,000 (no change from 2012)

• Athens-Limestone Public Library $80,000 (no change from 2012)

• A-L Clean Community: $17,000 (no change from 2012)

• NARCOG: $1,198 (+ $798 over 2012)

• Town of Ardmore: $7,000 (+ $7,000 over 2012)

• North Alabama Mental Retardation Authority: $7,000 (no change from 2012)

• Storytelling Festival: $10,000 (+ $10,000 over 2012)

• Tourism billboards: $20,000 (+ $20,000 over 2012)

• Soil & Conservation: $25,000 (+ $25,000 over 2012)

Expenditures by

department

• General fund: $12,959,353 (+ $624,017 over 2012)

• License and revenue commissioners: $1,402,596 (+ $7,484 over 2012)

• Jail construction/maintenance: $600,000 (+ $100,000 over 2012)

• Public health tax: $2,568,218 (+ $202,043 over 2012)

• Landfill: $269,625 (- $15,319 under 2012)

• Legislative delegation: $200,000 (- $110,000 under 2012)

• Home service: $21,800 ( - $8,250 under 2012)

• Senior center: $2,650 (- $3,000 under 2012)

• School resource officers: $516,908 (+ $30,058 over 2012)

• Legislative delegation office: $500,000 (+ $500,000 over 2012)

• Gasoline tax: $3,567,929 (+ $267,355 over 2012)

• Public Building, Road and Bridge fund: $3,241,800 (- $25,425 under 2012)

• Public Highway and Traffic Fund: $275,400 (+ $7,700 over 2012)

• Capital Improvement Fund: $302,500: (+ $75,000 over 2012)

• Resurfacing, Restoration and Rehabilitation Fund: $1,352,600 (+ $42,200 over 2012)

• Secondary Road Fund: $264,200 (+ $19,800 over 2012)

• Severed material tax: $25,000 (+ $15,578 over 2012)

• Appraisal: $1,061,612 (+ $45,584 over 2012)

• Tourism: $40,000 (no change from 2012)

• Services for the elderly: $286,124 (+ $19,992 over 2012)

• Community Corrections: $397,748 (+ $52,648 over 2012)

• Work release: $129,333 (+ $16,162 over 2012)

• Senior drug program: $32,255 (+ $2,291 over 2012)

• Emergency Management Agency: $259,015 (+ $36,777 over 2012)

• TVA maintenance: $186,439 (+ $17,329 over 2012)

• Debt service lease-sales: $172,294 (- $23,452 under 2012)

• Debt service bond issue-refunding: $991,500 (+ $2,650 over 2012)

• Debt service bond issue-2010: $98,618 (+ $5,498 over 2012)