Putnam County audit committee forwards year-end budget moves, accepts grants for 911 and homeland security

Putnam County’s Audit & Administration Committee on Dec. 19 reviewed year-end revenue reports and moved a package of budget amendments and grant acceptances to the full county board, while signing several smaller transfers at the committee level.

Chairman Castellano opened the meeting and led a run-through of routine correspondence, reporting that the county had met its annual sales-tax target and that December receipts were still pending. He presented monthly revenue and contingency reports and called the items FYIs.

The committee approved forwarding a series of budget amendments for sheriff-related overtime and insurance recoveries. A $62,769.89 amendment to cover sheriff overtime was moved to the full board. Separately, a $5,617.16 DPW insurance-recovery amendment to cover guardrail repairs on Crane Road was advanced; Chairman Castellano praised county staff "and our officers there, Matt Bruno, especially, always on top of these issues with the insurance companies." The committee also forwarded a $12,735.19 insurance-recovery amendment for sheriff vehicle repairs.

The committee approved forwarding a $150,000 amendment authorizing the sheriff’s department to use federally seized/forfeiture assets for firearm-related equipment; Chairman Castellano described the item as incoming federal money with zero fiscal impact to county taxpayers.

On grants, the committee moved to the full board a federal homeland-security award split into two revenue sources (presented as $152,575 and $82,156) to cover terrorism-prevention activities and other emergency services. Jeremy Lewis, the commissioner of finance, noted in discussion that, "pursuant to the letter, at least 35% based on the federal guidelines you have to give towards the sheriff's department for terrorism preventive activities." The committee also forwarded a $255,000 law-enforcement technology grant for the 911 dispatch center to pay for software and accessories, and advanced a $12,480 Department of Social Services grant to support a local Suicide Prevention Task Force; staff said that task-force funds would initially pay for a temporary position and the item will be taken up at the January organizational meeting.

Several intra-departmental fund transfers to cover year-end costs and mandated state increases were also moved to the full board. Notable amounts included transfers for the Department of Social Services of $299,500, $520,000 and $470,000 (items presented as within budget to cover mandated or attendance-driven cost increases). Signature-level transfers approved at the committee included $2,499.83 to cover corrections overtime, $4,835 for Health Department receptionist coverage and a $3,100 temporary line for the Bureau of Emergency Services.

Personnel and budget items tied to the 2025 budget were typically held for the January organizational meeting: a salary-and-benefits adjustment related to a PCSEA contract settlement, a $9,391 training transfer for a newly hired children's SPOA coordinator, and a reclassification to create an IT operations assistant position were all forwarded to the organizational meeting for final action.

Under other business the committee added and forwarded a request to change a capital project's funding source, shifting $650,000 from WQIP (Water Quality Improvement Program) funds to sales-tax revenue to cover maintenance and repairs; committee members noted that WQIP rules have changed and some prior uses may no longer be approvable. The committee also forwarded a $43,000 transfer to cover year-end overtime at the 911 dispatch center.

The committee advanced these items to the full county board for final approval where required and signed three committee-level transfers. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Votes at a glance - Budget amendment (sheriff overtime, $62,769.89): motion moved to full (committee voice vote: all "Aye"). - DPW insurance recovery (Crane Road guardrail, $5,617.16): moved to full (committee voice vote: all "Aye"). - Sheriff vehicle repairs insurance ( $12,735.19): moved to full (committee voice vote: all "Aye"). - Forfeiture assets for firearm equipment ($150,000): moved to full (committee voice vote: all "Aye"). - Homeland Security grant (two revenue sources, $152,575 and $82,156): moved to full (committee voice vote: all "Aye"). - 911 technology grant ($255,000): moved to full (committee voice vote: all "Aye"). - DSS transfers ($299,500; $520,000; $470,000): moved to full (committee voice votes: all "Aye"). - Suicide Prevention Task Force grant ($12,480): moved to January organizational meeting for approval. - Signature-level transfers signed at committee: corrections overtime ($2,499.83), Health receptionist ($4,835), Bureau of Emergency Services temporary line ($3,100).

What’s next Most items the committee forwarded will appear on the full county board agenda for final approval; the PCSEA-related salary and benefit adjustment, the children's SPOA training funding, and several personnel reclassifications will be taken up at the January organizational meeting.

Attributions Direct quotes and attributions in this report come from meeting remarks transcribed during the Dec. 19, 2024 Audit & Administration Committee meeting.