County budget one step closer to completion
Oktibbeha County supervisors met on Friday for the second consecutive week to discuss a preliminary draft of the county’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2019-2020.
Overall, the budget presented would increase available money in the county’s general fund by $324,362, leaving the total fund at $14,206,277.
Oktibbeha County’s Special Revenue and Agency Funds went the opposite direction, decreasing by $13,625,940, or roughly 35%.
This change was largely due to several grants timing out this year.
The single largest budget decrease came from the Sheriff’s Office, in terms of actual money saved. The Sheriff’s Office lowered its budget taken from the county’s general fund from $2.88 million to $2.86 million, a reduction of $27,350.
Oktibbeha County’s Election Commission asked for the larger increase in funds by both percentage and actual dollars, asking for its previous budget of $178,480 be increased by $63,210, or 35%.
This request comes after members of the Commission successfully approached Supervisors about allowing elected officials in the department to have health insurance through the county, a request which was granted by the Board.
The county’s Special Revenue Fund will no longer receive $1.8 million originally given as a grant for a FEMA safe room. Money from the grant was used to construct Oktibbeha County’s only county-owned safe room, a certification given by FEMA with higher requirements than a shelter.
Other funds belonged to bonds or grants which the county will no longer have access to in fiscal year 2019-2020.
At the conclusion of Friday’s workshop, Supervisors issued a Board Order for County Administrator Emily Garrard to sched
| Page 3