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Vernon County hears monthly bills, treasury and project-fund updates; board places bills on file
Summary
County treasurer and finance staff presented December bills and year-end financials, including a $15.53 million bank balance, ongoing Vernon Manor/Vernon Acres transition costs, and recommendations to clean up multi-year project funds; the board approved minutes and agreed to place bills on file.
The Vernon County Board of Supervisors reviewed the countyb9s report of bills for December and heard financial updates from county staff during a regular meeting. Karen, the county treasurer, told the board the county held $15,527,004.84 in bank balances and that daily receipts totaled $2,605,007.19. She said sales tax receipts for December were $180,007.38.
The treasurer's report matters because it frames decisions on budgeting, debt issuance and project allocations. Karen also reported delinquent real estate tax activity: $13,001.16 in payments toward delinquent accounts with an outstanding delinquent balance of $902,004.72 and current taxes payments of $46,003.84 with a current balance of $55,401,007.05.
Finance staff highlighted several vendors and larger items on the bills list: an access control/security invoice for $24,084 charged to the jail controls; progress billing for the emergency management building plan of $6,490 to an engineering firm; a $5,300 charge labeled City of Sparta for leachate disposal; and a $7,982.77 payment to Dominion for voting-equipment firmware. Staff noted higher landfill leachate disposal costs and routine membership renewals and insurance premiums, including Wisconsin County Mutual.
Board members discussed the ongoing Vernon Manor and Vernon Acres transition. Finance staff said bills for those facilities remain on the county's voucher list through January while the facilities implement a new financial system and take over check-cutting; the county will continue to record costs until that transition is complete. Finance reported Vernon Manor showed an estimated net loss of about $1.2 million for the year and Vernon Acres performed better because of census changes; staff said the management agreement changes will be monitored for financial effect.
On project funds, staff reported work to clean up multi-year allocations. For a group of Woodchunk-funded projects, staff removed 2021 allocations so the board now sees three years' worth of active project funds. The board instructed staff to present department-head review next month to determine whether unused funds from 2022 (including roughly $190,500 for the Carnegie Bridge) should be reallocated or carried forward; members asked staff to prioritize clearing lingering 2022 items and then address 2023.
On placement of bills and minutes, the board voted to approve minutes from Dec. 17 and to place the bills on file as the proper next step in records handling.
The meeting also included routine departmental updates: the finance office is closing the 2024 year and expects journal entries reallocating some expenses (including ARPA allocations) early this year; the finance-director recruitment was posted Jan. 2 with a Feb. 3 closing date and a finalist selection meeting scheduled Feb. 20.
Ending: Board members directed staff to continue monthly follow-up on overdue tax collections, finalize the 2024 closeout entries, and bring department head recommendations on unspent project funds to the next meeting.
