Bradley County finance committee tells departments to include carryover PO amounts in 2026–27 budget requests after six‑month cutoff

At a March 4, 2026 Bradley County finance committee meeting, members advised department heads to include previously tied‑up purchase‑order (PO) amounts in their upcoming 2026–27 budget requests after the county shortened the allowable PO closure window from 12 months to six months, officials said.

Committee members said the change — implemented by the mayor and the county finance director in response to guidance from the state auditors — is intended to prevent departments from carrying prior‑year obligations into the next fiscal year and to make county budgeting more accurate. "The move from the from a 12 month to 6 month purchase order, closure window is a real adjustment," the chair said, calling the goal to have departments work out of the current budget year rather than rely on prior POs.

Why it matte…