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South Zanesville council approves correction letter and $50,000 General Fund adjustment
Summary
At its April 23 special meeting, the South Zanesville Village Council authorized a correction letter to the Muskingum County Auditor to fix 2025 appropriation errors and approved a $50,000 General Fund appropriation increase to bolster contingency transfers and cover police vehicle repairs.
The South Zanesville Village Council voted April 23 to authorize a correction letter to the Muskingum County Auditor and to increase General Fund appropriations by $50,000 after the village’s fiscal officer identified errors in the 2025 budget submission.
Fiscal Officer Taylor Bennett told the council auditors flagged several problems, including that “The Coronavirus Relief Fund should not have been included in the 2025 appropriations,” and that the available balance will be corrected to $417.87. Bennett said the Fire/EMS Fund was over-appropriated by $7,214.35 and the Water Operating Fund was over-appropriated by $85,870.50, which she attributed to a prior miscalculation. She presented a six-year fund-balance analysis showing the General Fund in solid condition while Fire/EMS and Water have been strained by recent capital purchases and repair needs.
Bennett proposed increasing General Fund appropriations by $50,000, allocating roughly $2,000–$3,000 for Police Department vehicle repairs and placing the remaining $47,000–$48,000 into the Transfers Out line (raising it from $80,000 to $125,000) as a contingency to be used only with subsequent council approval. The fiscal officer said the village prepared a formal correction letter for the County Auditor rather than resubmitting an emergency appropriation ordinance to maintain transparency and comply with updated budget procedures.
Councilmember Greg Gibson moved to allow the Fiscal Officer to submit the correction letter to the County Auditor Budget Commission and to approve the $50,000 increase. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Ed Harlan. Recorded votes were Kim St. Clair — yea; Ed Harlan — yea; Mike Nunley — yea; Greg Gibson — yea. The motion carried.
Next steps: the approved correction letter will be submitted to the Muskingum County Auditor’s office to adjust the affected fund balances and recorded appropriations. Any future use of the Transfers Out contingency will require a separate council motion and vote.
