Wayne County staff present 13 technical budget amendments including a $4 million reallocation; committee advances day's business

Management and Budget and department leaders presented 13 technical amendments to the county's proposed fiscal-year budget and described adjustments needed before final action.

"These are what we have received so far from the departments," Budget Director Philip Whitfield said as he summarized the requests. The package included amendments that would increase appropriations, correct funding-source errors and reallocate project dollars.

Key items presented: - County Clerk: A technical adjustment to add a clerical specialist position and provide additional overtime funding; the clerk's request as summarized at the meeting would increase the appropriation by $465,033. A public commenter who identified staffing concerns said the department may still be short of earlier overtime estimates. - Prosecuting Attorney: A certification of fund balance to cover negotiated salary increases; the amendment as presented would increase appropriation authority by $1,500,000. - IDSD department: A $4,000,000 certification to restore general-fund dollars previously diverted to a new activity in 2002, directed by the county's budget policy statement; staff said this will move financing into the appropriate internal funds. - Special projects/capital cleanup: A reallocation that decertifies and reallocates multiple capital-project amounts, netting a reduction in fund 499 appropriations (technical reallocation of approximately $229 million in project coding adjustments as described by staff). - Non-departmental/economic development: An increase to appropriation in non-departmental accounting to support economic development activity (the amendment summarized as $403,554 total appropriation impact). - Sheriff: A technical amendment to reallocate funding to acquire a horse trailer and electric bikes for patrol and reserve units (no line-item final contract discussed at the meeting). - Renovations/roofing: A management-office request to fund renovation work and roofing; the amendment summarized an increase of $688,700. - Treasurer, juvenile services and other departmental corrections: Additional certification requests and reallocations were presented, including a $250,000 certification for juvenile-services training/licensing and a $400,000 treasurer certification.

Several commissioners asked for greater transparency about when and why technical changes were coming after the CEO's recommended budget was released. "A lot of these came through that some weren't even presented at the table when they had the initial budget development conversations," Whitfield said, and he told commissioners that the administration would tighten deadlines and require departments to align projections more closely during development.

Health, Human and Veteran Services staff said some large ARPA-funded programs have been re-budgeted to better reflect actual spending; Kamal Kapooru, finance director for HHS, said staff reduced a previously higher estimate to a lower amount closer to projected spend for the coming year.

Votes and procedural actions The committee moved and approved procedural items and several day-of motions by voice vote. The meeting record shows the following actions: - Motion to "pass for the day" (D1) for listed items: moved by Commissioner Baydoun, supported by Commissioner Scott Anderson; approved by voice vote. - Motion to approve items E1 and E2 under new business: moved by Commissioner Baydoun, supported by Commissioner Clemente; approved by voice vote. - Motion to adjourn: moved by Commissioner Scott Anderson, supported by Commissioner Mirecki; approved by voice vote. The committee closed with a statement that outstanding technical amendments would be refined with management and budget and brought back for final approval Monday.

Ending

Staff said they will continue reconciling and making corrections with department liaisons and circulate updated technical amendments ahead of the scheduled final budget action.