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Cherokee County CFO explains $32.58 million FY2025 true‑up; commissioners seek clarity on revenue offsets
Summary
Finance staff presented a FY2025 year‑end budget amendment of $32,581,168 described as a 'true‑up' that reallocates budgeted dollars, uses reserves in places, and recognizes unanticipated grant revenues (including ARPA); the county’s new CFO told commissioners the net effect is not necessarily an increase but an accounting reallocation.
Finance staff presented a FY2025 year‑end budget amendment at the Cherokee County work session on Feb. 17 totaling $32,581,168 and described it as a year‑end ‘true‑up’ to reconcile accounts, recognize grant revenues, and reallocate funds across departments.
The county’s new CFO, who answered commissioners’ questions during the session, said the amendment largely moves money between accounts and recognizes reimbursable grant revenues (such as ARPA and other grants) when expenses are incurred. "They're planned. Departments have a total budget and we don't really get concerned as long as an area of responsibility remains within its budget," the CFO said, explaining that some items appear large because both overages and underruns are counted in the reported total.
Commissioners pressed for clarity on how to tell which entries represent additional revenues versus account transfers. The CFO said department‑level detail and annotations in the amendment identify which line items are revenue recognition (grants) versus expense reallocations, and that capital project funds like SPLOST typically bank receipts early and spend later, which can create large numbers that net to zero across accounts.
The board discussed several major drivers flagged in the amendment including ARPA funds, SPLOST receipts, and insurance and benefits overruns that departments covered by shifting other line items. A commissioner asked whether the true‑ups inform the next year’s budget; staff said historical performance is reviewed when drafting the FY2027 budget.
The amendment packet includes line‑item detail and staff offered to provide more granular annotations to show which adjustments are offset by additional revenues and which are borne by reserves.
Next steps: staff will provide requested clarifications in the amendment documentation; any formal approval of the amendment will follow the established consent/approval process.
