Supervisors accept MOU and debate school budget overruns, new finance director and employee raises

A commissioner reported on recent Board of Supervisors and joint school board meetings, telling the planning commission that supervisors accepted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will create a county finance director position with responsibility that includes school finances.

Why it matters: the joint meetings revealed significant school budget overruns that county and school officials are working to address; the county and school board adopted interim steps to improve oversight and a new finance position is intended to centralize fiscal authority.

What was reported: the reporter said the supervisors approved the MOU by a 5‑0 vote and the school board accepted it 4‑1 (as reported to the planning commission). Meeting attendees and external auditors (identified in the meeting as UHY) indicated the problem is partly late invoice reporting by program managers and principals rather than solely a personnel or accounting error. The reporter described a current budget overrun in the range of about $1.3 million that could increase through the fiscal year, and said state authorities are "working on" an investigation mentioned during the joint meeting.

Personnel and raises: commissioners said proposed budgets initially contained no general raises for county employees while teacher pay proposals included state funds for teacher increases. Commissioners discussed options for a modest county employee increase (figures discussed included about 1.25 percent) and stressed the need to identify sustainable funding sources before proceeding. Several commissioners warned that losing experienced teachers and administrators to neighboring jurisdictions was an immediate risk if competitive pay is not available.

Concerns and causes: meeting discussion emphasized lack of timely invoice submission and weak oversight as proximate causes of budget variance. Commissioners said improved monthly reconciliations and stronger oversight were necessary to prevent end‑of‑year overspending and recommended clearer, assigned fiscal responsibility.

Ending: commissioners urged attention to the county and school division budgets, said staff and auditors were engaged, and noted that further corrective actions and staffing changes are underway; the planning commission record showed the MOU and budget discussion as matters reported from the Board of Supervisors.