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Board transfers EDA loan funds and approves 2025 budget amendments
Summary
The Houston County Board moved EDA loan cash and approved a set of 2025 budget amendments that reallocate salaries, record EDA activity in a separate fund, and adjust revenues and expenditures across departments; the actions were approved by voice vote.
The Houston County Board approved a fund transfer to create a dedicated EDA (Economic Development Authority) fund and adopted multiple 2025 budget amendments covering salary, benefit and program revenue adjustments.
EDA fund transfer: County staff said the transfer moves EDA loan balances from the general fund to a newly established EDA fund following audit guidance that the amounts are now material. The loan balance identified in the meeting was $378,192.09 with $9,836.23 in interest. A motion to transfer the funds to the EDA fund passed by voice vote.
2025 budget amendments: County finance staff presented amendments that adjust department salary and benefit lines and other revenue/expenditure items. The presentation highlighted a $74,609 increase in general-revenue budgeted revenues and expenditures (presenter: "The total for general revenue is an increase of $74,609"). Road and Bridge salary budgets showed a decrease (staff cited about $121,500) because of an unfilled position; Human Services salaries increased by $139,471 with matching funding increases from the state of $165,478 to offset those positions, staff said. After the amendments, staff reported the general fund moved from a projected surplus to a projected deficit of $7,004.78 for 2025, while Public Health and Human Services would move to a small surplus; staff also said road-and-bridge would have modest surplus funds available to cover previously approved projects.
Why this matters: The EDA fund separation aligns accounting with audit guidance and provides clearer tracking of EDA loan activity. The budget amendments reallocate personnel and program funds, reflect state reimbursements for public-health positions and create modest capacity for planned capital items discussed earlier in the meeting.
Vote and next steps: A commissioner moved to approve the fund transfer and another moved to adopt the 2025 amendments; both passed by voice vote. Staff said department heads will receive May reports and begin work on the 2026 budget process with the salary adjustments as a starting point.
Ending: The board approved the accounting and budgetary changes and instructed staff to proceed with the EDA fund set-up and to implement the budget amendments; department heads will monitor line items and prepare materials for next year's budget process.
