In its third budget amendment this year, Lewis County shifted dollars primarily to fund capital improvement projects.
The Lewis County Board of Commissioners during its regular business meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, called a public hearing for Tuesday, Sept. 16, to discuss a quarterly budget amendment.
According to the information provided by the county, the majority of the budget changes will go toward capital projects around the county, including the county’s ongoing broadband efforts with ToledoTel and work on county communication infrastructure, including upgraded radio equipment and towers.
The amendment increases county expenditures by about $10.1 million with approximately $6.6 million covered by new grant funds, fees, transfers between county accounts or other revenue sources. The remaining $3.4 million will come out of the county’s normal fund balances.
Roughly $100,000 of the new expenses will come out of the general fund while the rest will come directly from other county funds, including the communications and communications capital funds, the distressed counties fund, the capital maintenance and repair fund and the solid waste disposal district No. 1 fund.
According to Lewis County Budget Administrator Becky Butler, the amendment mostly shows the county spending previous revenue and grant dollars or other leftover balances in a variety of funds. Revenue listed in the amendment overview is new while expenditures listed without revenue mean the county has determined there is enough fund balance to cover the cost.
The largest piece of spending in the budget amendment is seemingly covered by unspent dollars from previous years with county documents pointing to the $5.5 million for broadband investment being “rolled over” from past budget years.
The second biggest expense in the amendment will come from the communications capital fund to fund projects upgrading county communications infrastructure, including radio equipment and radio towers. The expenses total approximately $2.7 million.
According to county documents, the expenses will be covered using grant funds from the U.S. Department of Justice and unassigned dollars in the communications capital fund that have not yet been spent.
A portion of the money also comes from the county communications fund, which now supports the independent Lewis County 911 agency and requires approval from its board of directors. The amendment document shows just over $650,000 being transferred from the communications fund to the communications capital fund as revenue.
Other expenses listed are relatively minor, with the next largest expense at just over a half million dollars going to the distressed counties fund, which is largely administered by the Economic Alliance of Lewis County. Other expenses hover around $100,000 or less.
According to Butler, any changes to the amendment ahead of the hearing will be noted on the day of the hearing.
To learn more about the budget amendment, Lewis County residents can request an overview from the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners Office on the second floor of the Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis. Residents can submit written public comment or testimony concerning the amendment ahead of the public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16, via email at BOCC@lewiscountywa.gov.
Residents can also offer comments or testimony in person. The hearing will take place in the commissioners hearing room on the second floor of the Lewis County Courthouse and will begin after the Lewis County Board of Commissioners regular business meeting, which begins at 10 a.m.
