Auditor, commission review budget
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley updated commissioners Wednesday on the end-of-year fiscal projections and also cautioned the board about some departmental budget line items.
After referencing the county budget passed in March, Fawley said, “We’ve gone through and looked at every line item. There are a lot of ‘modifications,’ but you have to remember that ‘modification’ means that you moved money from one line item to another. There’s no savings; you’ve just moved stuff around. Anyone who has ‘moved money’ with a modification, it’s not a savings.”
At least one department administrator has informed commissioners that additional cuts may be difficult, if not impossible.
Judge Kevin Greer, Highland County Common Pleas Court Probate and Juvenile Divisions, told commissioners in a Nov. 25 letter: “...Be advised I have reviewed my 2010 budget and have found no line item that can be reduced any further without jeopardizing public safety or the effective/efficient operation of the court. By way of explanation, I just received a state report showing for fiscal year 2009, Highland County Juvenile Court adjudicated 27 serious felonies. Many involved offenses of violence which obviously require immediate court attention when filed and are on track to address approximately 100 children adjudicated abused, neglected and dependent. Once again, these cases demand immediate attention and are costly to prosecute in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the children involved. In addition to the serious felonies and Children Services case, we will process approximately 3,000 other transactions/cases during the year. (To read the judge’s letter in its entirety, log on to www.highlandcountypress.com.)
After clarifying the budgeting process, Fawley noted that many departments do have legitimate reductions in expenses. He pointed out significant savings in the treasurer’s office, the prosecutor’s office, common pleas court, the sheriff’s office and elsewhere.
The county’s receipts through November are approximately $8,691,000, Fawley said. However, the auditor noted that approximately $272,000 of the 2009 receipts cannot be counted on for 2010 for various reasons. Fawley also said that depository interest for the county is down from approximately $500,000 in 2007 to roughly $23,000.
Commissioner Gary Heaton said the county was fortunate that it hasn’t had to borrow any additional money due, in large part, to the numerous cuts in county expenses.
“I’m still a little nervous about property tax and sale tax (revenues) next year when people’s unemployment runs out,” Fawley said.
“We are, too,” said commissioner Tom Horst.
Horst advised everyone that the county needs to “push the ‘buy local’ message. That’s a big thing for us in Highland County to buy local whenever possible.”
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes:
• The appointment of Debbie Sansone as clerk of the Board of Commissioners effective Dec. 1, 2009.
• The rescinding of Resolution No. 09-407 from Nov. 25, 2009 and the authorization of the following budget modification: from Children Services Salary – Employees to Children Services Other Child Care – Salary, in the amount of $2,050.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from Board of MRDD Help Me Grow, Rental, to Board of MRDD Help Me Grow, Travel, in the amount of $2,200.
• The authorization of additional appropriation to the following: from Unappropriated Funds to S-33 Restitution Collection in the amount of
$645.29.
• The adoption of the following resolution: Whereas, Sub H.B. 420 of the 127th General Assembly created in each county treasury a county
law library resources fund, effective Jan. 1, 2010; and whereas, the fund shall receive all revenue that is required to be deposited into the fund pursuant to division (D)(1) of section 307.51 and section 307.515 of the Revised Code, appropriated to the fund from the general fund by the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to section 307.513 of the Revised Code, or designated for deposit into the fund by gift or bequest from any person, firm, or corporation; and whereas, expenditures from the fund shall be made pursuant to the annual appropriation measure adopted by the Board of County Commissioners under section 5705.38 of the Revised Code; the following Special Fund is established, effective Jan. 1, 2010, to be known as Law Library fund, and that the clerk of the board be and hereby is authorized and directed to certify copies of this resolution to Michelle VanZant Salyer, law librarian, and Bill Fawley, county auditor.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from County Misc., Levies & Assessments to County Misc., Official Bonds, in the
amount of $2,000.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from Maintenance and Operations, Contracts-Services to Maintenance and Operations, Contracts-Repairs in the amount of $5,000.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from Debt Retirement, RFL Sewer Interest, to Debt Retirement, RFL Sewer Principal, in the amount of $4,214.27.
• The authorization of the following transfers: from County Miscellaneous Transfers to Debt Retirement – Mowrystown Sewer, in the amount of $18,496.88, and Unappropriated Funds to Mowrystown Sewer Principal, in the amount of $1,229.34, and from Unappropriated Funds to Mowrystown Sewer Interest in the amount of $40,183.82.
• The authorization of the following transfers: from County Miscellaneous Transfers to Debt Retirement – Highland-Leesburg Sewer
in the amount of $22,291.77; and the authorization of the following budget modification: from Debt Retirement, Highland-Leesburg Interest to Debt Retirement, Highland-Leesburg Sewer Principal, in the amount of $297.23.[[In-content Ad]]
After referencing the county budget passed in March, Fawley said, “We’ve gone through and looked at every line item. There are a lot of ‘modifications,’ but you have to remember that ‘modification’ means that you moved money from one line item to another. There’s no savings; you’ve just moved stuff around. Anyone who has ‘moved money’ with a modification, it’s not a savings.”
At least one department administrator has informed commissioners that additional cuts may be difficult, if not impossible.
Judge Kevin Greer, Highland County Common Pleas Court Probate and Juvenile Divisions, told commissioners in a Nov. 25 letter: “...Be advised I have reviewed my 2010 budget and have found no line item that can be reduced any further without jeopardizing public safety or the effective/efficient operation of the court. By way of explanation, I just received a state report showing for fiscal year 2009, Highland County Juvenile Court adjudicated 27 serious felonies. Many involved offenses of violence which obviously require immediate court attention when filed and are on track to address approximately 100 children adjudicated abused, neglected and dependent. Once again, these cases demand immediate attention and are costly to prosecute in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the children involved. In addition to the serious felonies and Children Services case, we will process approximately 3,000 other transactions/cases during the year. (To read the judge’s letter in its entirety, log on to www.highlandcountypress.com.)
After clarifying the budgeting process, Fawley noted that many departments do have legitimate reductions in expenses. He pointed out significant savings in the treasurer’s office, the prosecutor’s office, common pleas court, the sheriff’s office and elsewhere.
The county’s receipts through November are approximately $8,691,000, Fawley said. However, the auditor noted that approximately $272,000 of the 2009 receipts cannot be counted on for 2010 for various reasons. Fawley also said that depository interest for the county is down from approximately $500,000 in 2007 to roughly $23,000.
Commissioner Gary Heaton said the county was fortunate that it hasn’t had to borrow any additional money due, in large part, to the numerous cuts in county expenses.
“I’m still a little nervous about property tax and sale tax (revenues) next year when people’s unemployment runs out,” Fawley said.
“We are, too,” said commissioner Tom Horst.
Horst advised everyone that the county needs to “push the ‘buy local’ message. That’s a big thing for us in Highland County to buy local whenever possible.”
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes:
• The appointment of Debbie Sansone as clerk of the Board of Commissioners effective Dec. 1, 2009.
• The rescinding of Resolution No. 09-407 from Nov. 25, 2009 and the authorization of the following budget modification: from Children Services Salary – Employees to Children Services Other Child Care – Salary, in the amount of $2,050.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from Board of MRDD Help Me Grow, Rental, to Board of MRDD Help Me Grow, Travel, in the amount of $2,200.
• The authorization of additional appropriation to the following: from Unappropriated Funds to S-33 Restitution Collection in the amount of
$645.29.
• The adoption of the following resolution: Whereas, Sub H.B. 420 of the 127th General Assembly created in each county treasury a county
law library resources fund, effective Jan. 1, 2010; and whereas, the fund shall receive all revenue that is required to be deposited into the fund pursuant to division (D)(1) of section 307.51 and section 307.515 of the Revised Code, appropriated to the fund from the general fund by the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to section 307.513 of the Revised Code, or designated for deposit into the fund by gift or bequest from any person, firm, or corporation; and whereas, expenditures from the fund shall be made pursuant to the annual appropriation measure adopted by the Board of County Commissioners under section 5705.38 of the Revised Code; the following Special Fund is established, effective Jan. 1, 2010, to be known as Law Library fund, and that the clerk of the board be and hereby is authorized and directed to certify copies of this resolution to Michelle VanZant Salyer, law librarian, and Bill Fawley, county auditor.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from County Misc., Levies & Assessments to County Misc., Official Bonds, in the
amount of $2,000.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from Maintenance and Operations, Contracts-Services to Maintenance and Operations, Contracts-Repairs in the amount of $5,000.
• The authorization of the following budget modification: from Debt Retirement, RFL Sewer Interest, to Debt Retirement, RFL Sewer Principal, in the amount of $4,214.27.
• The authorization of the following transfers: from County Miscellaneous Transfers to Debt Retirement – Mowrystown Sewer, in the amount of $18,496.88, and Unappropriated Funds to Mowrystown Sewer Principal, in the amount of $1,229.34, and from Unappropriated Funds to Mowrystown Sewer Interest in the amount of $40,183.82.
• The authorization of the following transfers: from County Miscellaneous Transfers to Debt Retirement – Highland-Leesburg Sewer
in the amount of $22,291.77; and the authorization of the following budget modification: from Debt Retirement, Highland-Leesburg Interest to Debt Retirement, Highland-Leesburg Sewer Principal, in the amount of $297.23.[[In-content Ad]]