Chief Magistrate Bart Howell will be keeping his $5,500 professional allowance after all.

County council had wanted to bring Howell's allowance more in line with the county's other elected officials, including clerk of court, auditor, treasurer and probate judge, who each receive an annual professional allowance of $600.

But Cherokee County Councilman and finance committee chairman Charles Mathis introduced an amendment to the proposed budget on third reading Monday to fund the allowance at the previous level.

The amendment passed unanimously but seemed to catch some council members by surprise.

Councilman Tim Spencer said he had no idea that Mathis planned to make the motion.

Mathis explained his decision by saying the allowance is part of Howell's salary.

Howell is the only county magistrate to receive the allowance.

County officials said the allowance had been funded by the state, but it now comes out of the county's coffers.

That was the lone change to the budget on third reading.

The new fiscal year $19.1 million budget includes no tax hikes, salary increases or new capital spending.

There is, however, a $1.2 million transfer from the county's fund balance to cover a gaping shortfall caused by cuts in state funding.

The proposed budget goes into effect July 1.

Last year, council approved its $19 million operating budget with a 2.6-mill increase in property taxes and a transfer from the fund balance of $307,225. The tax hike added about $10 to a tax bill on a home valued at $100,000.

Although it's not part of the new fiscal year budget, council approved eliminating some retirement benefits for new hires that begin work after July 1. The move will reduce the county's liability under the new accounting guidelines, known as GASB 45.