County CFO: midyear review shows higher reserves now but one-time grants and timing skew outlook for 2025

Clallam County’s finance staff told the Board of Commissioners on July 29 that the county’s midyear financial picture looks better than a year ago but is affected by timing of large grant payments and by one-time advances.

Todd, the county’s finance lead, said general fund revenues were pacing at about 54.8% of the annual budget at midyear — ahead of last year’s pace — but stressed the numbers are skewed by advanced grant milestone payments. He told the board that roughly $3.8 million in HCA (Medicaid reentry) grant milestone payments were received earlier than budgeted, temporarily increasing intergovernmental revenue and reserves. Timber excise receipts were also well ahead of last year at midyear but staff cautioned timber receipts can be cyclical.

Staff projected overall revenue will exceed the adopted 2025 budget by roughly $1.78 million (about 3.1 percent), primarily because of grant timing and one-time returns of working capital from a floodplain project. However, administrators cautioned that reserves will decline later in the year as…