Treasurer says power-plant conversion eases short-term budget risk; forecasting timeline tightened by state

The district treasurer told the 3 Rivers School District Board of Education on Sept. 9 that the district’s short-term budget outlook is more stable after new information about a local power plant and warned of compressed state forecasting deadlines. "We now know that the power plant is not going to close," the treasurer said, adding that the plant plans a conversion to natural gas that could require short shutdowns but that no such shutdown is expected in the next year or two. The treasurer said the accounting picture will be clearer when settlement details from the county arrive because real-estate tax advances are initially posted to the general fund and later itemized. She reported the district currently has what she described as roughly 149 days of free cash in the general fund, and said classified and administrative contracts that began in July and August will increase payroll in the coming month. Board members were told state reporting deadlines have shifted: the treasurer said the usual November and May forecast submissions are now due earlier (an October 15 deadline was cited for the current cycle) and that next year the state will ask for an August submission and a February update. "The state threw a little bit at the curve ball at the treasurer's," she said, explaining the district will likely submit initial forecasts and update them when more precise numbers arrive. The treasurer recommended filing the district’s current-year-plus-three (four-year) forecast by the board meeting on Oct. 14 so it can meet the state’s Oct. 15 deadline. She also described the appropriation and certificate-of-estimate process required by Hamilton County and noted the district’s appropriation worksheet must show positive balances for each fund. No formal change to tax policy or appropriations was proposed during the discussion; the treasurer described the timetable and said staff will return with the forecast and supporting details.