Lewis County commissioners adopt $11.2 million budget amendment, reduce fund balance

The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday approved Resolution 25-269, a 2025 budget amendment that county staff said increases expenditures by $11,220,630 and increases revenue by $6,926,476. Becky Butler, Lewis County budget and risk director, presented the amendment and the board voted 3-0 to adopt it.

Butler told commissioners that the notice published in the Chronicle initially reflected an increase in expenditures of $10,154,745 and an increase in revenues of $6,678,076. She said subsequent adjustments added $1,065,885 in expenditures and additional revenue described in the notice, and that the net effect of the changes is a decrease in estimated ending fund balance of $4,294,154. “Please note that expenditures that do not show revenue source are offset with fund balance. Fund balance is revenue received in prior periods,” Butler said.

The hearing included a question-and-answer period; Butler asked that her opening statements be incorporated into the hearing record. After closing public testimony, a county official moved to approve Resolution 25-269; the motion was seconded and carried 3-0.

The county summary materials provided to the board accompany the adopted resolution. The amendment covers changes across multiple funds; Butler said that where expenditures do not show an associated revenue, the offset will be from fund balance carried from prior periods.

No additional public testimony was recorded during the hearing, and commissioners did not ask the presenter to provide further fiscal breakdowns at the meeting. The resolution was adopted with a unanimous vote.

The county clerk’s office will publish the revised budget documents and the summary that was provided to the board, per the county’s normal post-adoption procedures.