County board members reviewed a three-page
document submitted by Crowe Chizek & Co., the company that puts the
annual county audit together. The company detailed problems that
need to be resolved before the audit can move forward.
County Treasurer Mary Ellen Bruns brought the finance committee
up to date on the subject during Friday morning's committee meeting.
She said the major problems were that some fund balances were off
and there are numbers that need correcting from when information was
transferred from the old computer system to the new system. She's
been working on it all, and some of it has been resolved.
She planned to contact Tectura, the computer software company
that is supporting the new system, when she has more information
ready.
Board member John Stewart asked if there was anything anyone on
the board could do to help the situation. He wished to help move the
process along, recalling that the audit was late last year,
hindering the Logan County Health Department from getting grant
funds sooner that they depend on.
He said he also has concerns as this is a financially tight year.
"We need to know whether we are in the red or the black," he said.
In April the county will begin seeing the new tax revenue that
was approved by referendum last year. Even so, Bruns suggested
getting board approval in place now for sales tax anticipation
warrants that she believes will be needed sooner this year. The
money borrowed covers expenses, based on delayed tax revenues that
will come later in the year.
Last year the county took out $200,000 to cover until property
taxes would come in. This year it could become necessary two months
sooner, and up to $600,000 could be needed. The $400,000 more than
last year could put a serious bite on next year's budget, finance
committee member Dale Voyles said.
Representatives of Sam's Club asked the finance committee for
permission to present their small-business saver club to county
employees. Committee members recognized that buying from the
business would take employees out of town to shop. Dick Logan
objected, saying, "I hesitate in asking our people to go out of town
spending all our tax money."
Bobbi Abbott addressed the committee: "I would like to applaud
you. You did not endorse a project that would encourage employees to
shop out of town. That's how you get the budget healthier, with the
added sales tax of local spenders."
