BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Bradford County commissioners were set to meet for their only public budget workshop on Sept. 10, a workshop that came after the first public hearing on the budget last week.
Deputy Clerk of Courts Rachel Rhoden, highlighted the need for transparency and public involvement in the budgeting process, saying the clerk’s office supports budget workshops.
“We think that they’re great. It’s an opportunity to let the public see and understand what’s going on with the county budget,” she said.
At this late stage, however, Rhoden expressed staff’s hope that the workshop would lean toward presentation and avoid any major last-minute changes. The budget represents months of work on their part. Typically, finance employees begin meeting with the county manager’s office in February to work on a timeline to submit departmental budgets, Rhoden said. They consider the timing of the annual audit presentation as well as revenue information from the property appraiser’s office and other sources.
For that reason, the real window for future budget workshops should be between March and July, she said. Department heads and constitutional officers can present their budget requests to the board, and commissioners can talk about how to incorporate needs like a capital improvement plan.
Rhoden addressed the commission’s need for a capital improvement plan in a prior discussion, noting that there are “major capital expenses” in the county’s future, and the board needs to identify them and ensure money is being set aside to pay for them.
Doing all of this in advance would allow the finalization of the budget prior to the required public hearings each September.
“I just wanted to make that note for next year moving forward, so we can kind of be on the same page there,” she said.
Because the commission has big decisions to make regarding spending on fire rescue and a still-possible fire assessment fee next year, Rhoden suggested they could begin workshopping that “sooner than later.” Options have been discussed individually but not publicly as the full board, she said, including reducing operations by as much as 50%. At the same time there has been talk of expansion with a new fire station in Brooker. They need to examine options and their potential impact.
“We haven’t really talked about that, and we really need to have those discussions,” she said, adding they don’t want the consultant’s fire assessment data to expire.
“Are we going to reduce? Are we expanding? What is that going to look like? As far as cost, we need to get all of that worked out and quickly,” she urged.
Commissioner Diane Andrews agreed with the importance of budget workshops, including the one scheduled for Sept. 10.
“These people out here, they want to know what’s happening, too. And it’s a good idea for people to come and just tell about their budget, tell what they’ve done. And so, I think that we desperately need to get back to that. And the sooner, the better with the fire department,” she said.
The final tally for the county budget with grant funding added is more than $93.88 million. With nearly $22.8 million, the road department budget is by far the largest. However, almost all but $3.68 million of that amount is grant funding for projects like C.R. 225, C.R. 235 and C.R. 237.
The $12.1 million in the fines and forfeitures fund includes $4.86 million for the sheriff’s office and $3.5 million for the jail.
The budget for fire rescue is almost $10.5 million. This includes nearly $1.27 million in grant funding for a new fire engine and station improvements in Theressa and Sampson City. It also includes more than $226,000 for the community paramedicine program, which is paid for with lawsuit settlement funding to address opioid addiction.
The general fund has more than $13.4 million in reserve funding, which comes to nearly $16.1 million when reserves from the other funds are added.
The final budget hearing will take place Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 5:30 p.m.
