|
|
| Thursday, September 2, 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
Marketplace
|
|
Sections
|
|
Service Center
|
|
 |
|
Fiscal responsibility
Published March 4, 2010
County administrator Sandra Erickson said Wednesday that Jackson County is still holding its own in terms of finances.
Despite the economic downturn and increasing needs for services, Jackson County is still on budget after the first third of the 2010 fiscal year.
“Like everyone else in the state, we're dealing with the same economy as everyone else,” Erickson said.
She said this year is the second of a five-year recovery period and the county will probably have to deal with stalled revenues for the next three years.
The Jackson County Commission approved a more than $15 million budget in September.
The county's general fund revenues totaled $6,868,357, with expenditures in the same amount. Other fund revenues included the Emergency Management Agency with $124,183.76, Public Building, Road and Bridge with $688,750, Jail Maintenance with $1,649,453.59, Public Highway and Traffic with $111,002, Mapping and Appraisal with $679,279.44, Capital Improvements with 270,750, Solid Waste with 1,538,385 and Public Works with $3,531,312—creating a total $15,461,473 in revenue for the county. Expenditures for each fund, according to the budget, are equal to the published revenues.
Erickson said the county’s 10 departments are working well to stay within their budgets. Before the 2010 budget was passed, each department was required to cut its budget five percent from last year's numbers.
Department heads are working with Erickson to find ways to reduce costs, and the departments are looking for grants available for additional funds.
She said the new pay increase approved by the commission in February will not be detrimental to the budget
Erickson’s estimate based on the most current payroll information is $210,300, but she said her figures would be more than the actual cost because the raises are staggered to coincide with the employee’s anniversary date. Erickson said her figures come from taking each of the county’s approximate 220 employee's payroll figures and taking 3 percent of the total.
“I’m happy we were able to do that (give raises) because it means a lot to the employees,” Erickson said. “They’re out there doing the jobs and cutting costs."
The county still has a reserve fund to help cover some expenses in the future if it must.
Based on last year's unaudited financial statements, Jackson County has between $5 and $6 million in reserves. Erickson said this seems like a lot of money, but isn't in the total scheme of the county's expenditures.
Erickson said she has spoken with other county administrators and said it may be a fact of life that the county will have to dip into reserves in the future to keep up with its expenditures.
"But we don't want to exhaust our reserves because it leaves us in a precarious situation," Erickson said.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|