County budget on target this year, not next

Spending is holding true to plan for Whitman County’s 2012 budget while county leaders try to erase a $806,200 projected deficit for next year.

David Ledbetter, county financial administrator, told county officials during Monday’s commissioner meeting that the $13.5 million spending plan for the county is well over anticipated revenues.

“That’s where we stand right now,” said Ledbetter.

The initial load of spending requests is about $1 million over the 2012 spending plan. Through August, the county has spent $8.4 million. Ledbetter predicted the county’s 2012 spending will wind up around $12.5 million, higher than the 2011 total, but below the $12.8 million revenue projection made by Administrator Gary Petrovich.

Ledbetter noted $1.3 million was spent in August as seasonal workers and river patrols bumped up overtime pay.

Petrovich noted the $12.8 million revenue projection is well below the $14.2 million budgeted revenue total from the start of the year.

Sales tax revenues have run higher than projected because of construction sales taxes paid by First Wind for the Palouse Wind farm on Naff Ridge. The state Department of Revenue is likely to refund the company a good deal of that money because of sales tax credits on wind farms.

Through August, the county had collected about $8.5 million in revenue, with $4.9 million coming from property and sales taxes. That lags behind where it should be year-to-date, but Petrovich noted revenues will spike after second half property tax payments are collected in October.

For the coming year, Ledbetter said he has spoken with several department leaders to come down to the $806,200 deficit. Initial spending requests submitted last month gave the county’s current expense budget an $833,000 deficit.

Ledbetter and Petrovich will now meet with other department heads to cut the spending plan even further before it gets to county commissioners, who must pass the 2013 spending plan before the end of the year.