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Cumberland County amends budget to cover contingency uses including hotel stays for unhoused and one-year Superior Court coordinator contract
Summary
The board approved budget ordinance amendments Oct. 6 that moved $94,001 from contingency to cover emergency hotel stays for unhoused residents and to fund a one-year professional services contract supporting Superior Court operations; the county expects state reimbursement for the latter.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved budget ordinance amendments Oct. 6 to allocate contingency funds for two items: temporary hotel housing for unhoused residents and a one‑year professional services contract to support Superior Court operations.
County Manager Greer told the board the amendments are necessary because contingency funds were used to cover these expenses earlier in the fiscal year. Finance staff reported a total of $94,001 was drawn from contingency.
County staff said $37,751 paid for hotel stays to shelter unhoused individuals during July and August of the fiscal year. The remaining $56,250 covers a professional services contract to provide a coordinator for the Superior Court system starting Oct. 1; staff said the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) told county officials it would reimburse the county after the state budget is finalized.
Commissioner Adams questioned why the board had not seen the contract language before approving funds; county staff and the county attorney said the manager has authority to approve professional services contracts within certain limits and that the contract had been legally reviewed. Manager Greer said he would provide Commissioner Adams a copy of the contract for review.
Vice Chairwoman Sheryl Jones moved to approve the budget ordinance amendments; the motion passed unanimously.
Clarifying details: the contingency total cited in the meeting was $94,001; $37,751 covered hotel costs for the unhoused and $56,250 was designated to fund the one‑year coordinator contract for Superior Court. Staff said the state (AOC) would reimburse the county for the coordinator position after the state budget is enacted, but the timeline and guarantee of reimbursement were described as contingent on state action.
