County makes cuts to balance 2015 budget

After a two-hour workshop Tuesday morning, Whitman County commissioners believe they have a balanced budget for next year.

Commissioners faced a more than $170,000 deficit when they began dealing with the budget that morning. Other factors bumped the deficit to more than $286,000.

The commissioners eliminated the deficit by cutting $48,000 which had been charted as staff additions and $200,000 from capital improvement and an operations contingency fund. Another $40,000 in property tax adjustments was added to the revenue side of the budget.

They spent the most time discussing the auditor’s budget which had an increase to accommodate an additional staff member and a promotion of a staff member. County Auditor Eunice Coker had not discussed the proposed staff additions with the commissioners or with human resources.

The commissioners decided to cut the $48,000 request from the budget and wait on recommendations from the agency that is evaluating the auditor’s department.

The auditor is the only department that requested additional staff.

“We understand her needs but we don’t have the funds for additional staff,” board Chairman Art Swannack said.

With a carryover of $100,000 from this year, the preliminary budget began with a $171,498 deficit. An additional $115,000 payroll in union contracts led to a projected $286,498 total deficit.

A property tax adjustment of $40,000 was added along with subtracting $48,000 for the auditor’s request to whittle the deficit to $198,498.

The commissioners’ main priority is maintaining staff levels, and they decided to cut $100,000 from the $300,000 listed for capital improvements projects fund and $100,000 from the operations contingency fund to balance the budget.

Swannack said he wants to put away a little money each year for capital improvement projects such as fairground improvements, maintenance of the Public Service Building and the courthouse elevator.

The county’s list of proposed capital improvement projects for next year totals $3.8 million.

“Part of what we’re trying to do is put a little away every year,” Swannack said.

The county must submit its final budget by the end of December.

Still to be incorporated in the county’s budget will be the budgets submitted from junior taxing districts.