Local News

Last year’s crisis, this year’s concern

Money issues never far from top of county commissioners’ watch list

by Deb Egenberger

March 21, 2008

Money—or lack of—remains a constant issue for the Dawson County Commissioners.

“We’re operating on our reserves,” said county finance committee chairman Linda Benjamin during the commissioners’ regular bimonthly meeting on Friday. “We’re still spending more than we’re bringing in.”

A year ago, the commissioners found themselves in a cash flow crisis, forced to borrow from the inheritance tax fund to cover payroll and other monthly bills.

Expenses at the end of February 2007 exceeded receipts by more than $600,000.

At the end of February 2008, expenses went beyond collections by nearly $750,000 but that total includes one payroll period more than the previous year.

Overall, receipt and expense totals are nearly identical from last year to this year.

The difference now is that the county has not had to dip into that inheritance fund yet or borrow at all this budget year, Benjamin said.

That’s because money designated to build up reserves has been used to pay the bills.

It’s not that county departments have spent more than was budgeted. As of Feb. 14, spending was at 61%.

It’s also not a matter of collecting less than anticipated. Property tax payments due in May are expected to be on target with the budget.

Mainly, it’s a matter of timing—covering expenses between the September tax collections and May.

“I was hoping we’d have a positive after this many months,” Benjamin said.

Lexington commissioner Butch Hagan said he believes county employees are working at holding the line on spending.

Treasurer Sharon Wood agreed.

“I think everyone is trying to pinch pennies,” Wood said.

Regardless, Benjamin said, with high fuel costs and inflation pushing expenses higher, spending will have to be cut to make the budget balance now and in years to come.

In other county board business, commissioners:

• heard the monthly crime report from sheriff Gary Reiber, who said animal complaints continue to be a problem countywide.

For the month of February, Reiber said the sheriff’s department received 53 calls for service on animal complaints, 21 from the same location southeast of Lexington.

• received a proposal from Lona Ferguson, AFLAC representative, on a cafeteria or flex plan for county employees. The board took no action.

• awarded a bid of $36,416 to Oden Enterprises of Wahoo for steel for the construction of a bridge east of Lexington on the Spring Creek. Other bids of $36,868 from Midwest Sales and Service of Schuyler and $39,657 from Husker Steel of Columbus were submitted.

• authorized deputy county attorney Kurt McBride to begin foreclosure procedures on eight parcels of land in the county following expiration of tax sale certificates.

• set a public hearing for 9:30 a.m. during the April 1 commissioners meeting for a special use permit for the Overton Vet Clinic. Zoning administrator Ellen Arms told the board the planning commission recommends approval of the veterinarians’ plans to tear down their existing facility and rebuild a new one.

• referred two requests for conservation easements to the planning commission for recommendation. The two requests involve land on Road 444 on Buffalo Creek north of Overton.

• approved a three-year contract with Tagge Engineering of Holdrege for consulting and engineering on all state and federal aid road projects. The three-year deal is a new requirement for counties and allows them to avoid procurement for each project.