The Union County Commissioners are making final changes in hopes of passing a budget.
Assistant County Administrator and Budget Officer Letitia Rayl said the 2022 budget has been completed.
“We have some changes to make based on conversations with the commissioners,” Rayl said.
The general fund budget, without transfers, totals $28,941,882.31. She said the auditor is anticipating 2022 revenue to total $29.23 million.
Rayl said she anticipates the county commissioners will approve the budget at next week’s meeting, once final changes are made.
She explained that county office holders and department heads submitted budgets requests. She and Administrator Tim Hansley then met with officials to discuss those requests before creating the budget.
Rayl said the budget was presented to the commissioners.
“The commissioners are really getting caught up to speed very quickly,” Rayl said.
Hansley and Rayl have met individually with commissioners Schmenk and Robinson. She said they met with Robinson early on “because he is a new commissioner.”
She said he is reviewing the budget but has not made any changes.
Commissioner Dave Burke is also reviewing the budget but chose not to meet with Rayl and Hansley.
“I think the process has gone really smoothly,” Rayl said. “Tim and I have a great format and a great process to create a budget.”
She said the financial position of the county helps the process.
“The auditor’s revenue certification was a bit higher, so that always makes things easier,” Rayl said.
Coming into 2021, the auditor estimated the year’s revenue at $28.26 million.
Rayl said the county would like to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for several items and projects.
“We are still waiting to see how we can use those ARPA dollars and that will impact all of this,” she said. “That will very likely impact some of the expenditures for the next year, we just don’t know how yet because they are still working on it.”
She said the general fund budget will look similar to last year’s.
“There is really no drastic changes,” Rayl said, though she noted that a few projects “need to continue discussion next year.”
She said officials believe the department heads and elected officials will be pleased with the 2022 budget.
“I think, for the most part, department heads will find the 2022 budget is in line with their requests,” Rayl said.
Rayl said the capital budget includes a couple larger projects, but mostly “regular facilities maintenance projects.
The major projects include a $3.3-million contribution to the interchange improvement at U.S. 33 and Post Road, an estimated $1.1-million project to finish space above the county engineer’s office.
Rayl said the engineer has for several years said his office is running out of space. The area above his office is currently unused so officials want to finish it and create additional office space.
The county is also preparing to spend close to $1 million to fix the log jams in the Mill Creek. Officials have said they hope to be able to use federal dollars, but want to be prepared in case they cannot. If the county needs to pay, the cost would be assessed to the property owners, but the county will need to pay initially.
According to the Union County Auditor’s Office, Union County’s general fund received more than $28.1 million for 2020. That 2020 revenue number does not include an additional more than $3.15 million in federal funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Moving into 2021, Union County had more than $24.57 million in carryover between the general fund and a variety of other specialty funds.