Committee advances dozens of year-end transfers and appropriations, sending them to full council

St. Joseph County's committee meeting on Nov. 24 moved a slate of year-end budget adjustments and appropriations to the full council, sending most items forward with favorable recommendations.

The committee approved a $200,000 transfer from the county clerk's budget to the election-board budget after County Clerk Amy Rolfes said higher-than-expected presidential-election costs required more technicians, vote-center workers and supplies. Rolfes said turnout for the election was about 112,000 voters. The clerk told the committee the largest unanticipated costs were contractual payments to vote-machine consultants (RBM).

Other transfers the committee approved to forward include a $5,000 transfer for the township assessor to replace worn furniture, a $150,000 transfer to purchase a surveillance system for the Ducommun (Dukum) center, and a $211,345 reclassification to cover a balloon payment on two motor graders so the county can track principal and interest properly. A $136,627.89 appropriation to cover litigation and related liabilities also advanced.

Auditor John Murphy presented a health-insurance fund update and said the combined employee and retiree funds remain in a healthy cash position; staff projected roughly $8.3 million in reserves after anticipated year-end payments. Murphy and commissioners explained that some payments to network providers are made in arrears and therefore the funds need additional budget authority even though cash is available.

The committee also approved reclassifications of leftover American Rescue Plan (ARP) accounts so the county can issue purchase orders and contracts by the Dec. 31 encumbrance deadline. Staff warned that uncorrected ARP account classifications would forfeit federal funds and said a slate-tile roofing contractor for the courthouse had been selected and a contract was expected to follow.

Smaller appropriations and grant-related items for probation, veterans court and community recovery coaches (including several Supreme Court grant appropriations and transfers for drug-testing panels) were also approved for forwarding. Several items were described by department staff as internal reclassifications or transfers to align budgets with actual contract needs.

Next steps: the favorable recommendations will be considered by the full council at its next meeting, where members may vote to adopt the transfers and appropriations into the county's budget.