Ashland County finance consultants identify roughly $2 million available for one‑time projects

At a meeting of the Ashland County Finance and Economic Development Committee, contracted financial consultant Steven Blake told members the county’s 2024 draft audit shows several fund balances that could be used for one‑time projects.

Blake said the county’s contingency fund contains about $840,000 and that Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds (LATCF) hold about $1,102,801. "The contingency fund is 1 that has been carried forward from year to year, and there is 840,000 in that fund that we would say is available," Blake said. He added, "that is something that we think is available for any general government purpose."

The consultant also pointed to an increase in the general fund’s unassigned balance to about $2.5 million, driven in part by a roughly $1.8 million settlement related to the Sanborn properties that cleared unpaid taxes into county revenues. Blake said the county’s legacy health plan liability was listed at about $2,000,006.96 in the draft audit but that his review suggested that estimate may be high and that run‑out claims through May were about $97,000 under the liability established at year end.

Why it matters: Committee members said those balances give the county flexibility to take on small- to medium‑sized capital work without issuing new debt, but they cautioned against using unrestricted balances for recurring operating costs.

Committee discussion focused on which funds can legally be used for particular purposes. Blake noted some revenue streams are restricted to specific uses — for example, inmate wellness and jail assessment accounts can be used for jail‑related expenses — while LATCF language allows broader governmental purpose spending. "That is something that we think is available for any general government purpose," Blake said of LATCF.

Members asked whether the county could cover an immediate capital need at the jail without issuing debt. Blake said roughly $2 million in one‑time resources could be available, but cautioned that committing funds to an item with ongoing operating costs would be risky. "You wouldn't wanna commit something that you are gonna need funds year over year or operating," he said.

The committee agreed to ask staff for quarterly financial updates going forward so elected officials can track claims run‑out, contingency, and special revenue balances before approving projects. Blake said he and county staff will provide periodic updates to the committee.

Ending: No formal motion was taken on spending; the update was informational and intended to guide future budget or capital discussions.