Atchison County finance director flags revenue shortfalls and commissioners debate enforcing line‑item budget limits

Finance Director Mark Zeltner told the Atchison County Commission on Sept. 16 that collections for several revenue streams had improved since July but that budget risks remain.

Zeltner said ad valorem property tax delinquencies fell from about $565,000 in July to roughly $476,000 and vehicle-tax delinquencies moved from about $411,000 to $404,000. He told the commission interest posted to the county checking accounts is tracking close to budget: the budget anticipated $325,000 and ‘‘we're almost at 311’’ thousand dollars. EMS collections were about $538,000 through August against a $650,000 projection, and the county received $175,005.75 in the 3/4-cent sales tax that supports solid waste and joint communications in August.

Zeltner also reported overall spending in the county budget is at about 70 percent of the year-to-date appropriation and identified two large appropriations not yet paid: about $40,000 to the health department and $69,002.67 to the extension council. Cash balances reported included roughly $73,000 in the solid-waste fund and about $101,000 in joint…