With the 2017 numbers in, Union County saw a nearly $2-million spike in revenue.
Interim County Administrator Tim Hansley said Union County’s financial picture is “getting much brighter.”
“We took in more than we planned and we spent less than we planned,” Hansley said.
Union County Auditor Andrea Weaver reported the actual 2017 general fund revenue came in at $23.2 million. In 2016, the county revenue was $21.339 million, a record at the time.
“We are fortunate to be in Union County,” Hansley said. “We are in a pretty good place. We are in a lot better shape than many counties.”
He said he believes an increase in sales tax accounted for about half a million dollars of the increase.
“We saw some sales tax increase, particularly coming from the southern portion of the county,” Hansley said, specifically noting the Dublin Green development. “Has that made an impact? Absolutely.”
Additionally, property values across the county rose, creating an increase in collected property tax.
Budget Officer Letitia Rayl said 2017 was the first in many years Union County has not been forced to return money to the state. In the past, if the state determined a company overpaid sales tax, the county would need to refund the money. Rayl said the state changed the way it collects sales tax from those companies and it seems to have resolved the concern.
Budget officials said while revenue increased, so did spending.
Hansley said revenue is, “up a lot, but spending is up more than revenue.”
According to the Union County Auditor’s office, the county spent about $19.1 million in 2017. The commissioners had passed an operating budget of $21.6 million for the year. In 2016, the county spent about $18.7 million.
Weaver estimated 2018’s revenue at $23.1 million.
Hansley said while he knows it’s the auditor’s job to be conservative, county officials are limited by her projections, noting the county budgets to the revenue estimate.
“We were still not able to fund all of the requests,” Hansley said
Rayl said county office holders work well together, but “it is hard for individual office holders to see the big picture, which we have to do.”
Hansley said some office holders have needed to “tighten our belts a bit to balance the budget.”
Rayl said the gap between requests and what the commissioners are able to fund is narrowing.
“Everyone is getting more efficient at budgeting,” Rayl said.
Hansley said it can be complicated because office holders and department heads are passionate about the services they provide. He said it’s up to the commissioners to “figure out what our priorities are.”
Hansley said the same forces that cause revenue to rise also cause expenses to increase. He said more rooftops lead to more property taxes and to more retailers, which generate sales tax. He said the rooftops and retailers also require better infrastructure, create a demand for county services and increase crime in the area.
“All of that is driving our budget upward,” Hansley said.
In addition to the county’s actual expenses, the county was able to transfer about $3.9 million into a variety of funds that carry over. Those funds have designated purposes, but the commissioners are not bound by those designations.
Between the general fund balance and the money available in those funds, the county has nearly $15.1 million in cash available at the end of the year.
Hansley said having the cash on hand allows the commissioners to take advantage of opportunities. He noted the commissioners were able to purchase the former Richwood Bank building, which allows them to expand the justice center. He said if the commissioners could not have purchased that building, the sheriff’s office would have needed to relocate, which would have cost more money in the long run.
“You need money to make money and you need money to be able to save money,” Hansley said.