Lewis County’s Quarterly Budget Adjustment ‘Unprecedented’

Lewis County Commissioners were briefed on the county’s quarterly budget amendment Monday, Sept. 28. The adjustment includes an increase in both revenue and expenditures for the 2020 budget, each to the tune of over $7 million. 

“This is a really kind of unprecedented budget amendment,” County Manager Erik Martin said. 

The amendment accounts for an expenditure increase of $7,033,196, and a revenue increase of $7,664,711, meaning an increase in the budget’s balance by over $600,000. Included in that is the general fund’s expenditure decrease of $96,229 and revenue increase of $31,409.

Budget Manager Becky Butler reviewed the amendment’s highlights regarding the general fund. Due to increased election participation, the fund saw an expenditure increase of $360,500. A reorganization of HR resulted in an expenditure increase of $79,375, and mandated costs for superior court fees associated with indigent defense cases increased about $125,000, tracking with a years-long trend, according to Butler. The county also shelled out an additional $90,000 for the coroner’s office, which went toward pathologists, body removals and toxicology reports. The office also saw a recent uptick in calls and investigations this year.

Those expenditure increases are offset by about $198,000 of jail medical costs that ended up being covered by Coronavirus Relief Fund grant money. The grant was also used to cover the salaries of employees considered “substantially dedicated” to responding to COVID-19, including $131,305 from the sheriff’s office, $73,906 from juvenile court, and $144,073 from the county jail. 

Highlights in the budget adjustment for funds outside the general fund include the more than $1.5 million of CARES funding granted by the Department of Commerce last week. Lewis County Public Health and Social Services also received $1.5 million. This is in addition to the $4.3 million of CARES funding granted to the county over the summer, which was included in a previous budget adjustment. 

The budget adjustment also includes the many COVID-19 grants the county recently received, including the $776,000 in rental assistance, and more than $200,000 in funding to prevent homelessness. 

Another major revenue increase includes $216,400 in insurance recovery payments and a savings of nearly $200,000 in IT services due to county reorganization. 

Expenditure adjustments related to capital include $265,000 for fairgrounds projects, juvenile and community development remodels, and renovations at the Oak Grove Campground. A $513,049 expenditure increase is also budgeted for the South Lewis County Airport capital project.

As for the “state of the budget,” Martin appeared optimistic. At the end of August, the county’s revenue was 1.5 percent higher than it was a year prior. Butler added that sales tax is only down $26,000 from last year — a statistic Commissioner Bobby Jackson called “amazing” given the pandemic. Martin originally predicted a more severe decline in sales tax due to the pandemic.

“Let’s hope the trend continues a little bit in terms of collecting,” Commissioner Gary Stamper said. “We’re crossing our fingers.”