It’s Your Money! Clark County Approves $4.2 Million Budget

By Mike Scott

Clark County spent over a half million dollars less than budgeted in 2007.  Total expenses were $3,231,163.69, or $554,591.59 less than anticipated.  That’s good news.
“Everybody was very, very frugal.  Everybody cut back.  If we didn’t need it, we didn’t buy it,” said County Clerk Leih Ann Hayden at during Monday morning’s 2008 Budget Hearing.
On the revenue side, Clark County began 2008 with $264,221.59 cash on hand from all funds.  Increases in property tax from valuation adjustments, higher sales tax income, combined with intergovernmental revenue, charges for service, transfers, interest, and other income, including the 1/2 cent tax jail fund, pushed the county’s total anticipated income to $4,272,797.62.
And the county intends to spend every cent of it.  And then some. 
Total budgeted expenses for 2008 are $4,282,542.94, more than $1 million higher than 2007’s actual expenses, creating an unbalanced budget for the  third consecutive year.
The county’s general revenue budget will increase by $186,194.03 to $928,738.38, reflecting increases in employee wages, utilities, natural gas, and miscellaneous expenses. 
The 2008 elections will add over $45,000 expense to the budget, and the county will transfer an extra $50,000 to the Jail Operations/Law Enforcement fund, for a total transfer of $200,000.
The Special Road and Bridge fund is expected to spend $1,716,899.30 this year, an increase of $230,649.68.  Topping the list of increases is $100K budgeted for equipment purchase, and extra $73K in rock purchases, as well as increases in fuel and insurance.
The Jail Operations/Law Enforcement fund ended 2007 with a negative balance of $80,771.62, the only fund to start 2008 in the red.
The budget estimates $715,600 in revenue for the fund, and projects expenses of $644,573.70, leaving the fund in the red at the end of 2008 by -$9745.32.
Salaries and benefits in the department will drop by over $49,000.  Included in the budget is $26,000 for patrol cars and an increase in prisoner meal costs of $70,961.58.
Hayden’s budget message also noted $40,000 was earmarked for building repairs and maintenance.