Washington County Board Presents Tentative Budget

By Alex Haglund

The County Board presented a tentative budget for the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year following their regular meeting for October, held on Tuesday, October 10.

The budget is currently on public display at the office of Washington County Clerk Nancy Heseman and the board will vote to approve it or not following that display period at their November meeting on Tuesday, November 14.

“It was not pretty back when we got our audit,” said Finance Committee Chairman Gary Suedmeyer told the rest of the board, “and it won’t be pretty moving forward.”

“Some hard decisions are going to have to be made,” Suedmeyer added.

The tentative budget lists $12,197,796 in revenue and expenditures, including interfund transfers, or $11,051,156 discounting those transfers.

The county general fund has budgeted $4,924,994, which breaks down as:

• $1,151,877, Administration

• $322,948, County Clerk

• $164,700, Circuit Clerk

• $152,700, Treasurer

• $1,613,200, Sheriff and Jail

• $43,000, Coroner

• $315,819, State’s Attorney

• $58,000, Public Defender

• $79,400, Animal Control

• $225,950, Assessor

• $56,000, Circuit Judge

• $65,200, ESDA (EMA)

• $312,000, County Offices

• $7,500, Cemetery

• $29,500, Zoning

• $27,200, Board of Review

• $300,000, Site and Construction

Outside of the general fund, various funds budgeted for include:

• County Highway Fund – $856,000

• County Bridge Fund – $498,545

• Matching Funds – $370,000

• Veterans’ Assistance Fund – $1,000

• Washington County Emergency Service – $1,196,644

• Washington County Health Department – $456,445

• IMRF and Social Security Fund – $862,000

• Drug Enforcement Task Force Fund – $0

• 911 Emergency Telephone Fund – $270,515

• Solid Waste Program – $24,300

• Security Fees/Circuit Judge/Circuit Clerk/Automation Fund/County Clerk/Stipends – $357,340

• Prairie State Revenue Fund – $900,000

• Washington County Senior Services – $288,000

• General Obligation Bonds – $0

• Debt Service Fund – $136,913

• Health Insurance Fund – $565,100

Please remember, this is a tentative budget, and has been presented by the board, but not yet voted on or approved.

This tentative budget can be viewed at the office of County Clerk Nancy Heseman.

The budget can also be found online at nash-news.com/county-budget-fy-2018 (click the image to then view or download the PDF of the budget in its entirety).