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Mason County staff warn of January cash decline; commissioners to monitor monthly reports
Summary
County finance staff presented January 2025 results showing a roughly $1.1 million drop in cash-on-hand versus the prior five-year trend and flagged the need for continued monthly monitoring; commissioners asked staff to return with March data and to watch revenue timing.
County finance staff told the Mason County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24 that January 2025 results showed early signs of strain on county cash balances but said one month does not establish a trend.
The presentation covered revenue and expenditure benchmarks through January. Staff reported general-fund receipts near the same proportion of budget as last year (about 6 percent) but said county cash on hand declined by roughly $1.1 million in the six-year recap — the first backward movement in several years. Sales-tax receipts for January were slightly stronger year over year and real-estate excise tax showed some improvement compared with two years ago; the county’s ARPA balance was reported at $632,000 with less than $100,000 of eligible spending remaining.
Finance staff and commissioners stressed the limits of drawing conclusions from a single month while also emphasizing the need to watch subsequent months closely. Commissioners asked staff to bring the March results back to the board for review and to surface any evidence that the January decline is persisting. Staff also noted the county’s operating reserve and other special-fund balances remain substantial, but cautioned that continued month-to-month declines could force policy changes such as reserve adjustments or revenue actions if repeated.
The discussion included operational detail and next steps: staff will return with updated revenue-forecast timing in April and will present March financials at the next briefing. Commissioners did not adopt any new revenue or expenditure policy at the meeting; the board directed staff to monitor monthly cash flows and report back if the pattern continues.
