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Washington County supervisors approve $900,000 budget transfer to eliminate beginning fund‑balance plug
Summary
The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted 7–0 to eliminate a $900,000 beginning‑fund‑balance plug by transferring $900,000 into budgeted revenue lines (personal property, local sales tax, interest), after staff presented FY23–24 reconciliations showing a surplus and higher-than-expected revenues.
The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a $900,000 budget transfer that eliminates a recurring use of beginning fund balance in the county operating budget.
At a meeting where finance staff presented the county's FY23–24 reconciliation, Finance Director Ms. Sturgill told the board the county ended the year with revenues exceeding expenses by about $23.4 million and staff recommended carryovers that together would leave the general fund reserves roughly $29.5 million (about 16 percent of the operating budget), contingent on board action. Ms. Sturgill said the proposed transfer reduces the traditional $900,000 “plug” in the beginning fund balance by increasing projected revenues in three lines: $200,000 to personal property tax revenue, $250,000 to local sales tax, and a small increase to interest earnings.
“Over the years we have worked to reduce our reliance on beginning fund balance,” Ms. Sturgill said during her presentation, and she recommended the targeted revenue adjustments so the county would not need to use the $900,000 carryover to balance the current year's budget.
Board members praised staff for conservative spending and for improving reserves. Members discussed the possible effect of raising the board's reserve target, bond‑rating considerations if reserves were set too high and later missed, and the county’s improved fiscal position compared with prior years.
A supervisor moved and a second followed to adopt the $900,000 transfer as listed in the board packet; the board voted 7–0 to approve the transfer, effectively reducing the beginning fund balance use to zero for the current fiscal cycle. No amendment to tax rates was proposed—the changes are to budgeted revenue projections, not new taxes.
The next procedural steps are an amendment to the county operating budget and a public hearing set for the board's October meeting (packet indicated a public hearing when amending the budget by over 1 percent of expenditures).
