Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Whitman County commissioners issued a letter June 19 to department heads to outline the 2018 budget calendar, goals and priorities.
Department heads are asked to have their preliminary budgets filed with the auditor by Aug. 14.
According to the letter issued by commissioners, the general fund is expected to “remain somewhat stable” to produce $15 million revenue. Recent past years have produced good sales tax revenue, farm and construction revenue, and the construction trend is expected to continue into 2018, but farm economy has dropped with lower prices.
Sales tax revenue up to May was equal to or less than last year.
Of the $15 million general fund revenue, the county projects $8.8 will come from taxes, $3 million from state and federal funding, $1.3 from charges for goods and services, $1.15 from fines and penalties with $750,000 from other sources.
The county now lists $470,000 coming out of the general fund with capital improvements at $100,000, debt service $170,000, operating contingencies $150,000 and restricted reserves $50,000.
Debt service will be for the $1.9 million 15-year loan for improvements to the Public Service Building, jail and courthouse.
The 2018 operating contingency fund is up from 2017’s $100,000. The restricted reserve account is the county’s emergency fund. The goal is to fill the account to cover two months of general operating expenses, which would be $2.4 million. The fund now sits at $1.12 million.
Given the financial outlook for the county, commissioners asked departments to budget in 2018 close to what they did for 2017.
Wages and benefits take more than 60 percent of the general fund expenses and employees receive step increases. Yet property tax, which makes up 40 percent of the general fund revenue, can only be raised one percent each year.
“What we have control over is how we spend money and the efficiency with which we manage our departments. In 2018 we will continue to rely on your creativity, initiative and expertise to deliver the services our citizens expect within the resources we have available,” the commissioners stated in the notice.
The department budgets will be reviewed by commissioners with department heads and elected officials in September and be available to the public in October with the first hearing scheduled for Oct. 2.
According to the budget calendar, the 2018 final budget should be forwarded to the state auditor Oct. 16.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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