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Perry County officials provisionally keep solid waste payroll in general fund, plan Jan. 1 accounting transfer
Summary
After reviewing 2025 line items, commissioners agreed to fund solid waste payroll from the county general fund for the coming year while letting operating costs draw on solid-waste revenue; staff were directed to work with operations to transition solid-waste revenue and accounting into county systems by Jan. 1.
PERRY COUNTY — County officials spent the meeting’s longest block of time on the solid waste budget, agreeing to a near-term approach that funds staff payroll from the county general fund while allowing operating expenses to be paid from solid-waste revenues.
The conversation began after Speaker 1 read figures from the packet and staff from the auditor’s office (Speaker 6) urged a simpler accounting approach. "State board of accounts will come in next year and tell you that this should be run through the county," Speaker 6 said, arguing that paying salaries from general fund dollars would avoid repeated transfers between accounts.
Commissioners wrestled with partial-year revenues — staff reported $98,600 collected through Aug. 28, which annualizes to roughly $147,000 — versus the department’s full 2025 request (presented in the packet as approximately $393,282). Commissioners and staff ran multiple scenarios to show how salary lines (cited in discussion near $185,757) and operating lines would be allocated to avoid constant back-and-forth transfers.
After line-by-line adjustments (including removing a uniform rental line and trimming other operating categories), the panel agreed to keep the 2025 salary appropriation routed through general fund budget lines for now and to ask staff to work with the solid-waste operator and 'Wes'—the operations contact named in the packet—on a transition so solid-waste revenue and expenditures are processed entirely through county accounts by Jan. 1. Speaker 1 summarized the agreed approach as "keep the salaries in general, move operating to revenue accounts, and start the transition in January."
The county asked budget staff to verify specific contract and telephone charges, confirm the projected revenue pacing with the operator, and prepare a clear transition plan for the next meeting.
What happens next: Staff will confirm the final line-item changes and report back at a subsequent commissioners meeting; auditors and the county’s finance staff will coordinate the accounting transition to comply with state guidance.
