Budget and Finance Committee approves financial statements and multiple budget amendments; OKs $80,000 ARPA-funded generator

The Budget and Finance Committee accepted the Feb. 18 minutes and voted to approve midyear financial statements and a package of budget amendments at its meeting (date not specified).

The committee reviewed trustee cash balances and year-to-date revenue and expenditure reports across multiple funds. Committee members noted property tax collections were roughly on pace with last year and that overall revenues (including grants) were tracking at about 81.4% of projections while expenditures for the general fund were near 55.8% at the same point. Chair (no name provided) said the numbers were “always good to see.”

The committee approved several targeted budget amendments and transfers affecting county departments and school accounts. Notable approvals included: - A request to transfer $80,000 from remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to buy a whole‑building backup generator for the county administration building; the generator vendor was listed as Bransford (Lafayette) and the committee was told the unit would allow the 9‑1‑1 system and administration to remain fully operational in an outage. The ARPA transfer was described in committee as coming from funds that do not have a local spending deadline. - Salary supplements for law enforcement staff funded from an underspent courtroom security line item (account 50‑3920). Committee discussion identified the funds as leftover rather than a recurring budget source. - A homeland security grant (HSGP) allocation of $9,315 to be used for other equipment. - A $20,500 transfer in the school regular instruction program to pay tuition and apprentice salaries for a “grow‑your‑own” teacher program tied to local high school partnerships. - A $9,900 transfer to cover employee health insurance for an early childhood program. - Multiple smaller operating transfers, insurance recoveries (including a sheriff’s vehicle claim subject to a $500 deductible), highway maintenance and repair amendments, and school facilities repairs (sewer and roof work).

Committee members raised a handful of monitoring and follow‑up items. Mike Greenwood, committee member, reiterated earlier concerns about low collections in specific revenue lines, including the litigation tax and county clerk receipts. Committee members asked staff to investigate an unexplained shortfall in “other statutory local taxes” and to report back. Members also noted turnover and unemployment‑related costs in benefits lines and flagged that some departmental pay‑raise requests from the…