Lewis County commissioners on Monday approved their first budget amendment of 2015, which will decrease the general fund balance by about $17,000.
A quick hearing at the weekly business meeting of the Board of County Commissioners requested amendments to several funds based on several factors, such as increased costs for services, projects from last year being rolled over to 2015 and ongoing work at the Lewis County Jail, among other reasons.
The county’s general fund dipped into its fund balance by about $17,000 based on the cost of several changes to the budget, primarily in an upgrade for a video system in the courtrooms costing $32,000; and an increase for a casual worker to perform background checks, costing $22,000.
Also added to the amendment were three instances of sick leave and vacation payouts totaling just over $27,000.
A total of $113,316 in the increase of the cost of professional services in contracts the county holds with Steck Medical Clinic and Cascade Mental Health, from $50,000 to $163,316, was paid out of the county’s Chemical Dependency/Mental Health Fund. That resulted in a decreased cost of $43,000 for the general fund, which served to help offset the use of fund balance in the general fund.
While the county’s general fund, the one responsible for day-to-day operations of government functions, saw a minimal impact in the grand scheme of the overall budget, several other pots of money dealing with special revenue from other sources or designated for specific uses had larger changes in their fund balance.
Increases for approved projects under the Distressed Counties Fund, commonly referred to as .09 fund because of the amount of sales tax that supports it, used $1.2 million of the fund balance for the Distressed Counties Fund.
Another major expenditure came in the form of $400,000 to the Capital Facilities Fund for the ongoing work of upgrading the camera system at the Lewis County Jail. That upgrade is taking place due to the county’s need to meet standards set forth by the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Other funds impacted were the solid waste fund, which will use $220,000 of fund balance for a project to install new tipping scales at the Central Transfer Station, and the roads fund, which saw a decrease in fund balance of $53,997 due to an increase in salary and benefits for the records manager position. Also, $45,000 of the land acquisition fund was marked for concrete work at the South County Airport near Toledo.
Increased revenues from several services offered at Lewis County Public Health increased the balance in the Public Health fund by $70,373.
Steve Walton, the budget director for Lewis County, said it is important to note that the expenses in several county funds such as the Distressed Counties Fund, Capital Facilities Fund and more don’t impact the day-to-day operation of the county. Instead, that’s the general fund, which still projects to receive about a $250,000 infusion into its reserves after all posting of numbers from 2014 is complete.
“The impact to the general fund is minimal,” Walton said.
Just before Monday morning’s hearing — which lasted about 15 minutes with no public comment — closed, county commissioner Bill Schulte remarked that he belives elected officials and staff in the county budget office have done well in balancing the budget each year.
“For the last four years, we’ve had a balanced budget. We’re about $750,000 to the good,” Schulte said. “It’s not by accident. It’s been a cooperative effort of everyone working for the county, and we appreciate everyone’s hard work.”
Commissioners approved the first budget amendment of 2015 by a count of 3-0 before adjourning Monday’s weekly business meeting.
