Wood County chair outlines summer budget timeline as 'budget time'

Wood County Board Chair Lance Plimel told WFHR listeners that summer is the county's main budgeting period and that work on capital-improvement projects, then operational budgets, keeps staff and supervisors busy. "Summers are generally budget time," Plimel said, adding that departments and board members sometimes spar over priorities while staying within the department's total allocation.

Plimel described the calendar: capital planning begins in summer, operational fine-tuning continues through August, the draft budget must be published by the end of October, and the board typically adopts the budget in the second week of November. He emphasized that end-of-year reconciliations and the requirement to formally accept grant funds mean the process is iterative rather than a single annual event. Plimel encouraged residents to engage with elected officials on priorities as the process moves toward fall.