County to operate off an inflated contingency budget first half of ?07

If the county?s 2007 budget, which was approved Wednesday by members of the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners, is anything like the proposed budget approved back in October and the figures that were tweaked again December 13, the numbers are going to change during the year as the money is shuffled around. A ?bottom line budget? of $5.5 million was unanimously approved during the last regular commission meeting of the year. The balanced budget represents an increase from $4.4 million from a year ago, but there is an inflated contingency account of nearly $1.9 million. The contingency fund was about $134,000 in last year?s budget.

According to treasurer Pat Cornett, the county operation through the first six to eight months of 2008 will be dependent on the contingency fund. Some of the inflated figures have been prompted by a shift in the tax collection from the winter to the summer. The county needs to carry over a certain amount money to get it through until the summer tax collection. An estimated $3.5 million is expected to be collected from the summer tax, said Cornett.

Cornett said earlier this month that the tax dollars don?t usually come in until later, meaning the bulk of the revenue will not start rolling in until September. District 5 commissioner Stephen Lang called the ?07 budget a ?fluid document,? meaning it will be a work in progress. Chairman Allan Bruder said, ?It is going to be a good test year.? While some areas of the budget are inflated, some have been reduced.

At Wednesday?s meeting, Bruder said the airport budget was down, but could

be increased if needed. Or expenditures could be delayed until 2008. Presque Isle Soil Conservation also was at $6,000 compared to $15,000 a year ago. The sheriff?s department had to crunch some numbers to get a new squad car placed back in the budget. A deputy is expected to retire next year. The department does not expect to hire someone until September, saving money from the officer?s salary, which will be used to purchase a vehicle for the aging fleet. In addition, there will be no new furniture purchases for county employees in 2007, unless deemed necessary. ?We took all of the furniture out,? said Bruder.

?If we are very careful and not do any excess spending, I think we can live within the budget,? said Bruder. ?The budget is balanced. For the 2006 budget, we?re not going to spend all the money that we had budgeted.? County officials believe the budget should be easier to manage in ?08. Along with approving the final revenue and expenditure budgets, the enterprise and special budgets were approved. There also were salary resolutions for elected and appointed officials, as well as department heads, which received approval. A separate resolution was approved for miscellaneous positions, such as the veteran?s counselor, jury commission secretary, and the emergency services director. The increases were in line with what the union employees received, said Bruder.