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Council warns building department fund may run short, discusses fee increases and interim transfers
Summary
County officials heard that the building department's cash balance has fallen to roughly $35,000 against a $140,000 budget and that, at current monthly burn rates, the department could be in the red before June. Commissioners asked staff to test fee increases, review ordinances and return with options at the May meeting.
Owen County council members were briefed on mounting budget pressure in the building department and discussed short-term fixes and longer-term structural changes. The auditor presented month-to-date figures and said the department has brought in only about $35,264 so far this year while budgeted expenditures total about $140,000, leaving little cushion if permit revenue does not pick up in the spring.
Council members said the department is seasonal and that revenues often rise with warmer weather, but several members warned that current trends — spending roughly $25,000–$35,000 more than receipts in the early months of the year — could force the county into a midyear decision. "If the cash balance is in the red, the department cannot pay payroll or claims," the auditor told the council, urging closer monitoring and a May action if needed.
Options discussed included targeted fee increases for permits, transferring limited funds from the county general fund as a temporary stopgap, or formally folding the building department into the general fund. Commissioners recalled a 1992 ordinance authorizing the building department to be self-supporting and noted the ordinance language would need amendment if the county changed the department's funding structure.
Council members asked staff to provide a per-permit cost analysis — an estimate of the time and inspection steps for a typical project — and to run revenue projections showing the fiscal impact of proposed fee changes (examples discussed ranged from current low fees to hypothetical increases to $600 per permit). The auditor also asked that liaisons meet with department staff to compare workload and costs before the next budget hearing.
The chair asked staff to return with an implementation plan and the ordinance language that would need revision; council members said they expect preliminary proposals at the May meeting and will consider one-time transfers only as a temporary measure while a sustainable fee or organizational solution is developed.
