County okays 2nd budget boost after $276,847 found

The Board of County Commissioners did not take long to make a decision Monday morning regarding the proposed budget amendment #2 to the 2016 budget. The commissioners unanimously approved the amendment which added $98,847 to the spending side of the budget.

The motion was passed after the commissioners during the week located $276,847 to plug into the revenue side of the budget.

The conversation was a lot shorter this week than last week when the discussion focused on not having the money to cover the extra spending requests.

“Trying to honor their request is difficult, if not impossible,” Commissioner Dean Kinzer said at the Oct. 17 meeting.

The discussion last week focused on one specific request, a $5,238 addition for overtime work pay in the county weed department. Peggy Wright, county weed coordinator, met with the commissioners to request the funds for overtime hours she worked throughout the year. The commissioners at that time said the overtime had not been budgeted into the 2016 budget, and they were not sure it could be approved because the money was not there.

The conversation then only centered around the weed department budget, but other departments had requested added funds in the amendment as well.

“The rest were either corrections or unexpected expenses you couldn’t do anything about,” said Commissioner Art Swannack.

Swannack told the Gazette Monday that the coroner’s office requested another $10,000 to cover expenses related to unattended deaths and autopsies, and the district court and superior court also requested amendments to cover expert witnesses fees and interpreters for trials. The auditor’s department also requested $41,000 to cover election expenses.

“Eunice (Coker) claims she didn’t budget money for the presidential primary,” said Swannack.

He explained that Coker last year requested additional funds in the 2016 budget to pay for the anticipated costs of the presidential primaries and the General Election.

“There was $140,000 added onto her budget last year for 2016 when we were doing negotiations,” said Swannack.

He said he is not exactly sure why more money is needed at this time.

“She spent $41,000 on the primary, and she needs the money for the General Election,” he said. “There should have been enough money in there originally to cover it.”

The commissioners tabled the decision last week, stating they needed more time to look over the specifics of the request. In that time, more revenue was found in the 2016 budget to cover the amendments.

“Since we last met, Sharron (Cunningham) updated the revenue, and there’s more revenue than there was prior, so we actually have the money for it now,” Swannack said.

Cunningham, who is finance administrator in the auditor’s office, found $60,000 in anticipated funds that had not been listed as revenue in the 2016 budget. The sum is expected as a payback on an operating loan to one of the parks districts. That money is due back to the county by Dec. 1.

Additionally, Bob Reynolds, county facilities supervisor, took a look at his $150,000 capital improvements budget. The capital funds, which are a normal part of the budget, are not expected to be tapped completely this year or next year, because the major capital project now underway in the Public Service Building, jail and courthouse is being funded through separate grant revenue.

The commissioners trimmed the capital fund by $100,000 for this year and next year.

“There will be $200,000 coming back over two years,” said Swannack.

Also found was a $68,000 error in the juvenile department fund which was budgeted for a position that no longer exists. That money is now back in the general fund.

“It was a nice amendment,” said Commissioner Swannack. “It gave money back.”

The commissioners were looking at the request for the current year’s budget with the future in mind as well. The 2017 budgeting process is underway, and the county is attempting to figure out where to make cuts in order to find $140,000 to balance the budget.

“Where do we find for 2017 the $140,000 we need?” Commissioner Michael Largent asked at last week’s meeting. “We hear every day the compelling needs in the departments.”

Discussions are underway for the 2017 budget, and Swannack said some of the things from this budget amendment will need to be looked at in regard to 2017.

“It’s still a policy decision on next year,” he said. “But we’re in a lot better position than we were two weeks ago.”

He reported that the county is getting close to a balanced budget for 2017.

“Right now, it looks like we have enough revenue to pass a balanced budget,” he said. “With the $100,000 from capital improvements and carry over from 2016, we’re somewhere pretty close.”

Swannack said the commissioners will be looking at the budget in the weeks ahead to discuss where it is at in terms of reserves, demands from the legislature and looking at the departments which have been requesting amendments.

“We’re still going to have some discussions on whether their 2017 budget is affected by this amendment,” he said.

Earlier this year, the commissioners passed the first budget amendment, totaling $343,594. That amendment was necessary to cover $289,250 in expenses in the Whitcom budget that was missed in the original budget, $43,920 to the facilities management line item, $10,000 to the coroner’s budget as a result of an increased case load, $750 to the commissioner’s line item for clerk travel and $326 in the juvenile line item.

That amendment also required moving items around and finding revenue. It was covered by a projected increase of $75,000 in sales tax revenue, $71,000 from the operating reserve and $199,000 in public works vehicle insurance revenue. That amendment left the county’s operating reserve fund at $24,000.