Post-meeting release 11/26

Commissioners approve General Fund, non-General Fund budgets Tuesday
Also agree to provide $1.2 million over three years for safety services

[Tiffin, OH Nov. 26, 2019] – The Seneca County Board of Commissioners approved a $17.4 million General Fund budget and a non-General Fund budget Thursday morning.
The General Fund budgeted expenses were $17,454,989.64. Members of the county’s Budget Commission attended the meeting and discussed revenue projections through the end of 2019 and discussed what revenue figures could be for 2020.
Each year, the Budget Commission certifies a revenue number for the following year. At the Thursday morning meeting, the current projection from budget commission members for 2020 revenue was about $17.5 million. The commission is expected to make an official certification for 2020 during its Dec. 10 meeting.
The budget includes wage increases only in situations where they are contractually obligated. The board also agreed to consider salary increases for all other county employees when revenue figures for 2019 become clearer at the beginning of next year.
The General Fund budget can be viewed in its entirety here.
The non-General Fund budget also was approved. Not much of that budget is affected by the commissioners, outside of the Capital Projects line. That line includes about $545,000 of potential capital improvement projects, most of which are carried over from last year’s list.
Potential projects include adding vehicles for the auditor’s office and the maintenance department, replacing the roof at the Department of Job and Family Services office and improving signs at several buildings across the county.
Also during the meeting, the commissioners agreed to spend $1.2 million over the next three years to help fund public safety.
In the past, the state of Ohio provided funding through the Local Government Revenue Assistance Fund specifically earmarked for public safety. Although this funding has been eliminated in recent years, the commissioners have continued their support for public safety. The funding is to be used to supplement the joint ambulance districts, Seneca County EMS, Seneca County EMA and Seneca Conservation District.
In other action, the board approved a proclamation recognizing this month as National Adoption Month.

In new business, the commissioners approved:
* A $77.72 supplemental appropriation to the General Fund.
* A $19,624.43 supplemental appropriation to the Victims of Crime Act Grant Fund in the transfers out line.
* A fund advance from the Delinquent Real Estate Tax and Assessment Collection Fund to the General Fund of $300,000. This is a repayment of funds fronted from the General Fund to help the Land Bank program.
* Expenditures for public safety from the Local Government Fund for 2020, 2021 and 2022.