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Cerro Gordo County engineer asks to move $650,000 forward to lock in rock-crushing prices after supplier changes
Summary
County Engineer Brandon told supervisors that two quarry companies were acquired and the new crushing schedule would require the county to buy crushed rock now; he asked to move $650,000 from next year's budget into the current fiscal year to secure better pricing, contingent on coordination with county finance staff.
County Engineer Brandon told the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors that two of the county's usual crushing contractors were recently acquired and that change has shifted their crushing schedules. "I have $650,000 in my budget for next year that would need to actually be moved into this year," Brandon said, explaining the county can get better pricing if it buys a large pile of crushed rock now instead of waiting until after July 1.
The request followed an operational update in which Brandon said crews had already plowed drifting snow in parts of the county and that the county had 10,000 tons of crushed rock remaining from a past run. He described how mobile crushing plans mean operators chain through locations and that the recent mergers left the county with short notice to secure crushing at a convenient pit.
A supervisor expressed support for the idea on the condition that Brandon coordinate with county finance staff. "As long as you work with Heather, I'm comfortable with it," the supervisor said. Brandon said he and Heather would work out whether the requested timing shift would require budget amendments for the following year and how to distribute crushing across multiple pits to avoid concentrating costs in a single year.
Why it matters: buying crushed rock in a single large run can lower per-ton costs for road maintenance and capital projects, but shifting budgeted funds between fiscal years affects planning and may require accounting action or formal budget amendments. Brandon told the board the county has carryover cash and does not expect the purchase to create a cash shortfall.
The board did not take a formal vote on a budget amendment during the update; Brandon said he would follow up with county finance to finalize the plan and any required steps. The county engineer also reported progress on the Rockwell site and utility abandonments for an upcoming demolition and soil-correction project.
