Warren County finance committee approves year‑end transfers, $6.6M vehicle reserve move and a slate of budget amendments

The Warren County Finance & Budget Committee approved a series of year‑end transfers and budget amendments during its Jan. 30 meeting, including a $6,600,000 transfer from the county’s vehicle reserve to the sheriff’s law‑enforcement budget to fund vehicle replacements.

County administrator (presenting) described the transfers as routine year‑end bookkeeping that reallocates existing budget codes to cover expenses across departments. “This is just close out of the year, and we have to move money from accounts, to cover expenses that, as we balance the books,” the county administrator said.

The committee approved a journal report of transfers covering November and December activity, with highlighted items that included $5,382 from deferred maintenance for Charles R. Wood Park repairs, $16,050 for hauling software and a $25,000 reallocation from a data‑processing line to pay an electric bill at the sheriff’s facility. The motion to move the vehicle reserve funds was described as part of the planned 2026 budget and carried on committee voice vote.

Other approved actions included:

- Establishing capital project H451 (waste and recycling local efficiency grant) for $469,631.70 and a related capital budget amendment of $46,963.17 to reflect transfers for equipment and salaries.

- Appropriating opioid settlement funds and adjusting restricted/unrestricted opioid settlement accounts (approved to enable planned use of $506,381 and $282,464 across accounts).

- Amending the 2026 budget by $103,974 to pass through 100% state aid from the Office of Mental Health to the Warren Washington Association for Mental Health (doing business as mental wellness) for court‑based mental health navigator services.

- Accepting a $33,034 grant award to public health for children and youth with special health care needs.

- Appropriating $92,260 from the occupancy tax reserve to special events and $57,491.29 to tourism promotion to cover approved 2025 invoices.

- Appropriating $6,692.52 from deferred revenue (Gaslight Village parking fees) for Charles R. Wood Park repairs and authorizing reimbursement to the village of Lake George for light poles.

- Recording a $34,383.55 mental‑health office lease under GASB 87 accounting rules.

- Approving personnel table‑of‑organization changes, including creating new sheriff’s office positions, a security guard position, and creating a principal account clerk while deleting an accounting technician position.

Committee members made the motions and seconded each item from the floor; the chair called the question on each and the motions carried by voice vote. The meeting record does not list roll‑call tallies for each item in the transcript; minutes will reflect official vote records.

The committee also heard a brief presentation about a proposed aerial imagery flyover, estimated at about $32,000 for the coming cycle; members approved reserving that amount in the fiscal‑2027 budget to secure higher‑resolution, half‑foot imagery.

The committee adjourned after supervisors used the privilege‑of‑floor time to note multiple fiscal pressures heading into 2027 and to request further analysis from county staff on the budget outlook.