During their first meeting of the new year, the Wayne County Commissioners reflected on the budgetary challenges the county faced in 2010 and those that lay ahead for 2011.
With revenues declining in virtually every revenue category 2010 was a year of tight spending controls as the county lowered its expenditures by $1.2 million from 2009 levels according to Commissioner Scott Wiggam.
When we entered this budget crisis officials and departments have had to do more with less and they have, said Wiggam recognizing the cost cutting efforts of elected officials and department heads and adding weve done what we needed to do.
Its an effort by everybody, said Commissioner Jim Carmichael.
If we had not saved that $1.2 million in spending we wouldnt be where were at today. Thats a credit to all the elected officials, department heads and all our county employees. We certainly appreciate that, added Carmichael.
Commissioner Ann Obrecht noted the important role county employees have played in getting keeping the county on firm financial ground during these fiscally challenging times.
We are going into a third year of no raises for our general fund employees. I think that says a lot, said Obrecht noting that staff reductions have left those employees that remain with more work than ever.
I want to acknowledge that and thank our employees because without everybody working together we could not be at the place we are now, said Obrecht.
We are sound, said Obrecht adding. It hasnt been easy.
Obrecht also sees the budgeting and forecasting process itself as a 2010 success story.
According to County Administrator Patrick Herron Patrick the county ended 2010 with just over $100,000 more in revenue than we spent.
That is budgeting close, observed Obrecht.
According to Herron the countys 2010 revenues came in three percent higher and spending came in three percent lower than originally estimated which created a $100,000 addition to the carryover from 2010 that was available to be appropriated in the 2011 budget.
In 2011 the county will also experience a $410,000 savings by virtue of not having to contend with a rare 27th pay period as it did in 2010.
Even with those additional funds available the county is still looking at a year when it will likely be spending $619,000 more than it brings in.
Revenue is expected to decline from the 2010 estimate of $2.9 million to just shy of $2.5 million in 2011 in part due to significantly lower interest income and an anticipated cut in local government funds from the state as Columbus wrestles with an expected $8 billion shortfall in the coming biennial budget.
Increases for rising health care and utility costs, the one time costs associated with converting to a self funded workers compensation program and mandated budget increases from the Wayne County Veteran Services Commission, whose independent board voted for an employee pay increase, and Juvenile Court were also factored into the budget.
With everything taken into account, the county anticipates receiving a total of $20,486,000 in general fund revenue in 2011. Factoring in the carryover balance from 2010 and reserving $1.5 million as a carryover going in to 2012 to enable the county to pay its bills for the first few months of the year until it receives 2012 revenue, appropriations for 2011 are set at $22,292,233.
Weve been very careful in planning and looking at our revenue sources to be realistic and I think this budget is realistic for what we anticipate to receive, said Obrecht.
