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Cowlitz County finance director: Veterans Relief Fund ending balance about $1 million; board weighs shifting admin costs
Summary
Finance staff told commissioners the Veterans Relief Fund closed 2024 with revenue slightly above budget and a healthy fund balance. Commissioners and staff discussed using investment income to cover administrative costs instead of the general fund, and advisory-board ideas to expand services.
Cowlitz County Finance Director Kathy Funk Baxter told the board on Monday that the Veterans Relief Fund finished the 2024 fiscal year with revenues slightly above budget and a year-end fund balance a little over $1 million.
The fund’s primary revenue is a portion of property taxes. Kathy Funk Baxter said the tax line was budgeted at $218,835 and actuals were about $228,629 — roughly $10,000 above the estimate. She said other revenue lines include small intergovernmental receipts and investment income; some accruals for the year had not yet been recorded.
The discussion mattered because the board is currently charging administrative overhead for Veterans Relief to the general fund. “The investments or the interest earned is enough to cover our administrative expenses, so we could consider using that to cover the administrative costs instead of the general fund,” Funk Baxter said, noting that the advisory board had previously asked that administrative costs be covered differently.
Gina James, director of Health and Human Services, said she supported the approach. “I would echo that too — if we can reduce the amount of expenses that we place on the general fund that will help,” James said, noting the fund has a history of accumulating a balance because revenue increases have outpaced assistance payments.
Commissioners and staff discussed options the advisory board is considering to spend more of the reserve on services rather than hold the surplus. Ideas mentioned included expanding monthly assistance amounts, piloting mini-grants for veteran-serving organizations, and consulting with county legal staff about parameters for partnering with national organizations to leverage additional funding.
No formal policy change or vote was taken Monday; staff and the advisory board will continue work on options and legal parameters. Funk Baxter said some year-end accruals and administrative billing entries remain to be recorded, and those entries will finalize reported totals.
Ending: Commissioners signaled openness to shifting administrative support away from the general fund if legal and accounting review supports doing so, and to reviewing advisory-board proposals for using additional fund balance to expand veteran services.
