Commissioner says county may have overpaid ABSS after using higher cost index; asks for finalized agreement

A commissioner raised questions about the county's recent agreement with ABSS, saying the board may have relied on a higher Employment Cost Index figure than the Bureau of Labor Statistics released and asking for the finalized agreement and supporting calculations.

The commissioner said the BLS's Employment Cost Index (ECI) was released showing a 3.6% increase and suggested the board's agreement may have been based on an assumed 4% or 4.2% ECI, which could result in excess payments. "Assuming student enrollment and prior year spending remained consistent, this discrepancy could mean taxpayers have already overpaid ABSS by nearly a quarter of a million dollars," the commissioner said. He added concern that an inflated baseline would compound into larger overpayments in future years.

County Attorney (unnamed) replied that the calculation used at the time was based on a 3.8% figure in the database the county used. The attorney also said the version of the agreement that was on the adopted agenda packet "is finalized" and had been published as part of the minutes. The commissioner said he had not received the finalized version and requested a copy and, separately, a calculation showing how the figures were derived.

No formal board action was taken during the exchange; the discussion concluded with a commitment by staff to provide the finalized agreement and further information.

Ending: The request for the finalized agreement and the calculation will be reflected in follow-up by county staff and the meeting minutes.