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Board reappropriates funds to cover WIC program timing discrepancy in public health budget
Summary
The board approved a reappropriation to prevent a budget overrun in the county public health budget tied to timing of a WIC grant amendment; staff clarified the grant money exists but arrived after county budget lines were set.
Becky Lenny, the county finance and tax officer, presented a request to reappropriate approximately $60,000 into the public health budget to prevent an apparent deficit caused by timing differences between federal/state WIC grant amendments and the county fiscal budget.
Lenny and public health staff explained the WIC program receives federal funds that flow to the state then to the county; a roughly $100,000 amendment to the WIC grant was received after the county’s internal budget lines were set, causing the county’s public health budget to appear in the red. Staff reported the federal grant has funds and that the county invoices the state for eligible costs; the requested reappropriation aligns county budget lines with expected grant revenue so the department does not show an overspend in county accounting.
Board members asked operational questions about payroll, lease costs and how billing to the grant will be documented. Staff said WIC staff are on county payroll, rent for shared space would be invoiced back to the grant and the county will compute a square-foot lease allocation and bill the grant accordingly.
Why it matters: Without reappropriation, auditors would flag departmental budgets that exceed appropriations even if grant funds cover the program. Adjusting budget lines ensures proper accounting and avoids audit write-ups.
Board action: The board approved the reappropriation and authorization to adjust budget lines to reflect the WIC grant amendment and to continue billing the grant for allowable expenses.
