ASOTIN - The proposed 2014 budget for Asotin County doesn't have any frills or fat, officials said Monday.
A hiring freeze remains in place, and spending will have to be monitored to make ends meet, said Chris Kemp, the county's chief financial officer.
"Like every entity, we're concerned about unfunded mandates and revenue shortages," Kemp said.
For example, when hard alcohol hit grocery store shelves in Washington, it wound up hurting county coffers. The state sales tax drove the prices up and many shoppers are now crossing the river to Idaho to get a better deal on booze, officials said. And border counties, such as Asotin, are feeling the pinch of decreased liquor profits and taxes.
"On the other hand, we are starting to see a slight increase in basic sales tax and we're hoping that trend continues," Kemp said at Monday's Asotin County Commission meeting. "But new construction is still down, and we're continually faced with increased personnel costs."
The big unknown in next year's budget is what cost-of-living adjustments will be made to salaries and benefits. Four union contracts are still in negotiations, Kemp said. In addition, there is no definite number for payment in lieu of taxes - the money paid to counties for land not on the tax rolls - which has to be decided at the federal level.
The county's proposed general fund budget, known as current expense, is about $6.8 million. Current expense funds the majority of county operations, and the budget change from this year is an approximate $13,000 decrease, according to a work sheet presented at Monday's public hearing. The overall budget shows $24 million in revenues and $25 million in expenditures. The $1 million difference reflects the use of money carried over by some departments, Kemp said.
The commissioners will take action on the preliminary 2014 budget next week, along with amendments to the 2013 budget.
The biggest adjustment in the current budget is a $320,500 increase for salaries and benefits associated with Community Services, the department that oversees services for the developmentally disabled. The majority of the expenses are reimbursed by the state, but the department had already used up 94 percent of its authorized budget by the end of October, Kemp said.
While she was going over the county finances, Kemp discovered an amendment would be needed for Community Services, so she attempted to contact the department's director, Mervin Schneider. Kemp told the commissioners she did not get a timely response to email or phone messages. Schneider was not at Monday's commission meeting.
The commissioners said the director of Community Services needs to be monitoring his department's budget, and he should've attended Monday's hearing on the issue.
"I think he should be front and center," said Commissioner Jim Fuller.
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Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.
