Sarpy County CFO reports 89% of revenue collected, $152 million outstanding debt and $41,000 remaining in ARPA funds

Sarpy County’s Chief Financial Officer, Dan Helikos, presented the county’s third‑quarter dashboard on revenues, expenses, cash and insurance funds, saying the county had collected 89% of its revenue budget year‑to‑date and is on track to receive the $201.8 million budgeted for the fiscal year.

Helikos explained a reporting change that separates true operational spending from contingency or future‑planning lines. He said operational spending is about $31.4 million with $19.9 million spent to date (roughly 63% of that narrower operational budget). Helikos flagged $47.5 million of funds classified as contingency/future planning and walked the board through restricted or earmarked amounts including $5.2 million in wastewater reserves, $9.8 million across sewer funds and $4.3 million required for landfill closure by NDE.

The CFO said the county’s ARPA balance stands at about $41,000 and is expected to be spent on a final emergency management siren project before year‑end. On the county’s self‑insured insurance fund, Helikos noted higher stop‑loss premium renewals tied to high‑cost claimants and showed the fund had experienced more claims than expected, with plan‑year variances to watch. He also reported about $152 million in outstanding debt principal across county issuances.

Commissioners asked whether departmental underspends roll forward; the CFO and another speaker explained that departmental appropriations return to general fund cash and are re‑appropriated in next year’s budget process. Helikos said an agreement to move to a new insurance broker would be on the next meeting agenda to help define reserve targets.