Jones County raises capital-asset threshold to $10,000, effective Sept. 1, 2026

The Jones County Board of Commissioners on April 7 adopted a resolution amending the county's capital asset financial policy to raise the capitalization threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, effective Sept. 1, 2026.

Lavita Crutchfield, who presented the resolution to the board, said the $5,000 threshold in place for years no longer reflects current prices. "Due to all the increase in inflation, cost of goods, cost of services ... I'm asking that it be increased to 10,000 due to the cost of living and inflation," Crutchfield said while explaining that the county can only implement the change at the start of a fiscal year.

The formal resolution read at the meeting states the change will apply to capital projects, machinery and equipment and that items with a unit cost or total project cost below $10,000 will be expensed rather than capitalized, provided they meet other budgetary policies. The resolution text in the meeting record also notes the amendment aligns with recent state guidance and with comparable local governments.

Commissioners moved to adopt the resolution and approved it by voice vote. No commissioner requested additional changes during the public discussion.

The board directed that the effective date be Sept. 1, 2026, so the policy aligns with the county's fiscal year. The resolution says prior resolutions or policies in conflict with the change are repealed to the extent of the conflict.

Next steps include administrative updates to the county's financial procedures to reflect the new threshold and communication to department heads about capitalization and expense treatment going forward.