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Board creates Route 29 beautification special revenue fund, moves carryover and annual transfers
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved creating a special revenue fund to centralize Route 29 beautification monies, transferring carryover reserves and setting future annual transfers of $15,000.
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors voted to create a special revenue fund to account for Route 29 beautification funds and to transfer existing carryover and current-year appropriations into the new fund.
The finance director told the board the county has historically given about $15,000 annually to the Route 29 Business Beautification Committee and that the committee has accumulated reserves for larger projects. She recommended establishing a special revenue fund so donations and the committee’s carryover can be tracked and spent with clearer accounting.
Board action and rationale Supervisor Martin moved to create the special revenue fund and transfer the leftover beautification balance and the budgeted annual contribution into it; the motion passed on a voice vote. The finance director said the carryforward amount that would move into the new fund is approximately $81,000 (the figure presented as carryover in the packet) and that the annual $15,000 allocation would be transferred to the special revenue fund each year going forward.
Why it matters The planning commission and the Route 29 Business Beautification Committee have used these funds for plantings, community signs and façade improvements. Board members and planning staff said the fund will improve transparency, allow the committee to accept donations into a restricted account and help the committee plan larger projects without commingling those dollars in the planning department’s operating budget.
Scope and next steps Staff said they will implement the fund at the July financial cycle and will report how donations and carryovers are being used. Several supervisors cautioned that expanding the geographic boundary of the committee would likely require additional funding and a charter change if the board chooses to increase the committee’s scope beyond the currently designated segment of Route 29 Business.
Ending note The board’s vote was unanimous on the motion to create the fund and transfer the existing monies; staff said they will return with the formal fund accounting entries and any recommended charter amendments if the committee’s geographic boundary is extended.
