Jackson County approves FY2526 budget amendment after brief public hearing

The Jackson County Board of Supervisors approved a FY2526 budget amendment May 5 after a brief public hearing and discussion of multiple line-item adjustments.

Chair Don Swanker opened the hearing and Auditor’s Office staff member Shelley presented the proposed changes. Shelley told the board the amendment includes a $100,000 reimbursement to the general fund from inmate revenue received from Scott County and a correction to the general-fund inmate expense line to account for inmate food, incidentals and upkeep. “We will write a warrant out of that fund to the general fund and…correct that line item,” Shelley said.

Shelley outlined other adjustments: deletion of a never-used separate line for mental-health transports; charging $65,000 for sheriff deputies’ computers to the jail capital project fund; and transfers to support a county conservation building project. She said smaller increases include $5,000 for guardian ad litem attorney fees, $1,000 to general assistance, $2,200 to forward well-permit fees to the state, a budget increase to spend leftover drug-grant funds (to be reimbursed), an $80,671 Bridgeport ramp item, a $400,000 increase in the revolving loan line to cover recently approved loans, and a $130,000 transfer to cover additional rock purchases for secondary roads.

After Shelley’s presentation and no public comments, Supervisor Mike Steinus moved to close the hearing; the motion was seconded and the board closed the hearing by voice vote. The board then moved to approve the budget amendment and to authorize the chair and auditor to sign the certification to the state. The motions carried with one board member recorded as opposed.

The board did not take additional public-comment testimony on the amendment. The adopted amendment moves funds among accounts and increases select line items to reflect actual and anticipated costs; the county will publish the certified amendment as required.