Author photo

By Garth Meyer
Gazette Reporter 

Annual process begun: County budget requests said almost $1 million over

 

October 18, 2018



The path to decide next year’s county budget took another step Tuesday as county commissioners met for a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. workshop to figure how to cut a projected $996,000 deficit in preparation to pass a balanced 2019 county budget by Dec. 31.

The local process began in the first week of August with each county department submitting an estimate for next year.

Since then, Gary Petrovich, county administrative director, put the figures together and presented a first round to commissioners in an Oct. 1 budget hearing.

On Monday, he presented part two, after another two weeks’ work.

Petrovich noted total expenditures are now estimated at $61,110,135 including a general fund of $16,664,792.

At the first hearing, he estimated $15,668,085 revenue for the general fund, which did not change at the second hearing.

Back and forth

Since Oct. 1, Petrovich has gone back to certain departments to ask if they have any further areas to cut, given the initial estimate for the county overall.

Cuts were made. Petrovich in particular went to Sheriff Brett Myers and his department, which is the largest in the county’s general fund. Myers cut $29,500.

In the prosecutor’s office, they moved $80,000 of a capital nature out of 2019 to a non-general fund capital projects list.

“This is to try to get any traction before we get down to the workshop Tuesday,” Petrovich said Monday.

After these steps, and others, an estimated $996,707 shortfall remained.

The total includes an estimated $500,000 in capital expenditures in information technology.

On Oct. 1, at part one of the budget hearing, the shortfall was at $1.2 million.

Ongoing

After Tuesday, Petrovich and commissioners will take the direction they decided on from the meeting – with more to come – to convene with department heads to work toward final numbers.

It is the start of an ongoing, daily process.

The 2018 budget is, as of now with amendments over the course of the year, $65,895,482.

The estimated $4.8 million drop for 2019, at this early point, is accounted for by the size of large projects such as in the Public Works’ road department and emergency communications.

“Those things vary by millions,” said Petrovich.

The Whitman County budget consists of 42 overall funds, from county roads to boating safety to inmate welfare, district court and solid waste reserve. The county’s general fund includes 23 departments, from the Sheriff to weed control to the coroner to child support enforcement.

“We’re at the very start of this process,” Petrovich said.

Author Bio

Garth Meyer, Former reporter

Author photo

Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.

 

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