Curry County schedules Jan. 9 work session to prepare supplemental budget after unexpected revenues

Curry County commissioners agreed to a supplemental budget work session for Jan. 9 to reconcile unexpected revenue and staffing changes in the county finance office. Speaker 2, who opened the budget discussion, said the county received larger-than-anticipated PILT payments, a spectrum refund of $64,000 and retroactive SRS funds that must be incorporated into a revised budget.

"We are due for a supplemental," Speaker 2 said, thanking Nick and Rabia for helping carry the budget work after a mid-season turnover in finance staff and noting that "we have gotten, Eric Chaitola as, hired on as our, is overseeing our our finance." Speakers said Eric has already assisted with audit reports and will compile beginning balances and rollover amounts needed to prepare the revised budget.

Staff explained departments submitted requests for budget revisions and that any change increasing a department’s expenditures by 10% or more will require a public hearing. "...some of those revisions are going to require a supplemental budget in a public hearing that's going to be anything that changes the department's expenditures by 10%," a staff speaker said.

Commissioners discussed possible supplemental spending areas, including additional road work and filling a position in the clerk’s office. The group debated scheduling and initially discussed a late-December date but settled on Jan. 9 so new finance staff could attend; the meeting time remains to be determined.

A participant asked whether the county should issue a news release announcing the supplemental process; commissioners and staff agreed it would be appropriate to notify the public. Speakers also said Rabia would prepare a narrowed list of department requests for review and that the budget committee should be invited to the supplemental discussions.

The meeting lasted roughly 16 minutes before the presiding speaker thanked staff and adjourned. The county’s next step is for finance staff to finalize beginning balances and rollovers and circulate prepared materials in advance of the Jan. 9 work session.