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Assembly creates special-purpose stabilization fund, transfers most unreserved balance
Summary
The Assembly approved an ordinance creating a special-purpose stabilization fund and moving roughly $13.9 million of the county's unreserved fund balance into it while retaining about $3.5 million (about 15% of projected FY25 operating budget) as an unreserved balance per S&P guidance.
The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates unanimously approved an ordinance (with a substitute amendment) on Sept. 4 to establish a special-purpose stabilization fund and appropriate most of the unreserved fund balance into that fund.
What was approved: The substitute ordinance sets the transfer amount at about $13,901,304 and leaves roughly $3,500,000 in unreserved balance, consistent with the county's financial policy and Standard & Poor's guidance to maintain roughly 10-to-15% of operating expenses as unreserved balance.
Why it was debated: Delegates and staff discussed the legal mechanics of creating and spending stabilization funds, including whether the ordinance should explicitly restate charter or state-law language and the procedural requirement that withdrawals from stabilization funds be subject to the ordinance rules (including a two-thirds threshold in some cases). Legal staff and the clerk explained the county's enabling ordinance framework, multiple stabilization funds created by ordinance and how the substitute reflects recommendations from the S&P review and internal fiscal policy.
Vote and outcome: The Assembly voted by roll call on the amendment and then on the ordinance as amended; the clerk recorded affirmative votes and the motion passed (roll call result recorded as 14 delegates representing 89.07% of the county population).
Next steps: Implementation requires accounting transfers, and future uses of the fund will follow the ordinance and any statutory or charter constraints about appropriation and withdrawal, including required legislative supermajorities where applicable.
