Van Buren County court adopts ordinance to finish senior center grant appropriation

Van Buren County officials on the floor of the county court on an unspecified date approved an ordinance that completes the appropriation of remaining grant funds for the county senior center.

The ordinance, introduced by Sarah Burn, would amend the county's annual operating budget (referenced as original appropriation ordinance O-22-58) to appropriate $43,782.07 as listed in the reading of the ordinance. The court record also includes alternate numeric references to $43,783.07; county staff stated the remainder reflects previously received grant funds and the ordinance finalizes spending of the balance.

According to the ordinance text read into the record, the Van Buren County treasurer has received $143,609.05 of a $174,780 grant for senior-center purposes; the remaining roughly $43,783 was proposed to be appropriated into Fund 3513 (special revenue), budget line 3513-103-4004, described as machinery and equipment (other than vehicles).

A commissioner asked, “If you're going to move the $43,783, what's gonna happen to the rest of the money?” A respondent on the dais said the other funds had already been appropriated and that this ordinance completes the balance of the grant appropriation.

The court adopted the ordinance by roll-call vote; members recorded in the roll call as voting yes included Nikki, Sarah, Phillips, Mike Bradford, John Bradford, Paige, Fleming (recorded as Lemmings earlier), and Bass. The ordinance adoption was recorded in the transcript with an identifier, transcribed as "O202335."

The ordinance moves previously identified grant monies into the senior-center equipment line; the transcript does not show additional policy conditions, timelines for expenditure, or a department-level implementation plan in this meeting. The clerk or treasurer would handle accounting entries to reflect the appropriation.

The court moved on to other budget items after the vote.