2017 budget nearly balanced

Whitman County is getting closer to a balanced budget for 2017. Whitman County commissioners and County Administrator Gary Petrovich met Monday morning to discuss where the budget stands.

“I thought I would start with some good news,” Petrovich said at the beginning of the meeting.

He reported that through Nov. 7 the county was sitting with a revenue surplus of $1,109,472 in the 2016 budget. However, he added that the figure does not include operating expenses for November and December, so the number is misleading.

“We’re tracking right where we should be, though,” said Petrovich.

Petrovich also reported that there is now $177,000 not yet factored into the 2017 budget. This total comes after the county in October was able to discover funds through corrections and revenue not previously listed. Some of those monies can now carry over into 2017.

“The question is if we use any or all of that for balancing our 2017 budget?” Petrovich posed to the commissioners. “Or do we scrutinize individual departments for potential cost savings? Do we have time to do it?”

The 2017 budget, as it stands without the $177,000 factored in, shows a deficit of $166,557. That number is up from the previously-reported deficit of $140,000.

“We have a number here that works,” Commissioner Michael Largent said of the expected carryover potentially covering the deficit.

He also touched on pursuing cuts within the county departments.

“I’m unaware of any specific departments or services that have been identified as potential cutting areas,” said Largent. “A budget is simply your best guess for the future.”

Commissioner Art Swannack expressed his concern about the county’s operating reserve fund, which is now budgeted at $100,000.

“I’d still like to see more put aside in operating reserves,” he said.

The commissioners also noted that a request for the third budget amendment of this year has been filed but not yet presented before the board.

“We’ll know what the true cash balance is as we get closer to the end of the year,” said Swannack. “Budget amendment number three is intended to be more corrective.”

Swannack did note the county coroner will once again seek additional funds to compensate for an increased case load and autopsies.

“The coroner doesn’t have much of a choice,” he said. Swannack added that the rest of the items in the amendment, to his knowledge, are along the lines of corrections and could see a downward shift in some funds.

The commissioners took no action on the budget during the meeting, as it was just a workshop meeting. They did, however, form a plan.

“At the moment, we have the revenue to cover the expenditures,” Largent commented. “We’ll be prepared with our first budget amendment (in 2017) to respond to any changes, including downward shifts.”

The commissioners now plan to communicate with department heads that the budget is appearing to be balanced, but adjustments may need to be made to department budgets. They will ask the departments to look at their budgets and figure out where cuts and adjustments, if any, can be made in 2017. Those cuts and adjustments could be addressed in the county’s first budget amendment next year, as Largent noted. Petrovich also said the budgets will be watched next year.

“They will be monitored closely in 2017 on a quarterly basis,” he said.

The hearing date for 2016 budget amendment #3 and the 2017 budget are both scheduled for the regular commissioners’ meeting on Monday, Dec. 19. The board usually meets at 10 a.m. the first, third and fifth Mondays of the month, unless otherwise noted on the agenda, for its regular meeting in the commissioners’ chambers in the Whitman County Courthouse. For a full agenda of the meeting, go to http://www.whitmancounty.org.