BoCC approves budget
December 20, 2018
Whitman County Board of Commissioners approved the 2019 budget Monday, culminating a months-long process for a total budget of $62,303,720, representing a $1,765,280 decrease from 2018.
The largest fund is the road department at $19,243,000 and the smallest $200 for the WSU Extension Publication fund.
“The departments have been really good in not padding their budget and just presenting what it should be,” said Gary Petrovich, county administrative director. “Comparatively speaking, there’s not a lot of difference between 2018 and 2019.”
The personnel fund has $16,984,656, compared to last year’s $15,831,922, which includes wages and benefits. The 2019 budget includes a cost of living raise of 3.5 percent for non-union employees.
Among other new items in next year’s budget is $500,000 to create a base layer for Geographic Information Systems, a computerized layered mapping which includes parcel data from ownership to tax boundaries and election districts. It will be used by the county assessor’s office and Public Works.
Another new item is $115,000 for security cameras in the courthouse, with accompanying software and storage.
For the second consecutive year, no significant cuts were made to individual departments.
“Significant meaning anything more than adjustments. All I did was massage their budgets a little bit,” Petrovich said.
For the fifth year in a row, commissioners also put $150,000 in an operating reserve fund, which was established in 2015 with $100,000. It now has $529,000 in the fund, as much of it has not been used from year-to-year.
The fund allows departments not to have to forecast as much for unforeseen expenses.
“If you have a problem, we have a way we can cover it,” said Commissioner Art Swannack.
What is it like to have the budget process complete?
“I think I’m gonna go have a drink after work tonight,” Petrovich said. “It’s a big relief and a load off all of our shoulders.”
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