Council updated on tax revenue, reimbursement

The county budget process will begin next month.

For now, the focus is on trying to give local government units as accurate a picture as possible of what 2021 funding might look like and seeking reimbursement for money spent because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jay County Council was updated on both budget topics at its meeting Wednesday, with auditor Anna Culy noting that she plans to do an advance tax draw before the end of the month.

Because of the pandemic, the state temporarily waived late fees for property taxes that were due in May. As a result, Culy said, tax collections last month came in at about 75 percent of what would have been expected.

“I was actually projecting way worse than that,” she said, adding that everything should even out if payment of taxes is caught up by the November due date.

The advance draw is intended to give local government units as accurate a picture as possible of what their tax revenue looked like for the first six months of the year. That will help them as they plan budgets for 2021.

County departments are asked to have their initial budget requests in by the end of the month to allow county council to do an initial review during its July 8 meeting.

Council members last month set some basic parameters for 2021 budgets, advising that funds related to the purchase of supplies, equipment and capital expenditures should be frozen for 2021 and that additional appropriations will be allowed for emergencies only. While telling department heads to move forward with 3-percent raises, they also noted that pay increases may not be possible.

Department heads have been understanding of those guidelines, Culy said.

The county is hopeful that it will receive at least some relief via reimbursement through the Coronavirus Relief Fund that is part of the federal CARES Act. As was detailed in Wednesday’s edition of The Commercial Review, the county is eligible for reimbursement up to $673,662 for pandemic-related expenses from March through the end of the year.

The county has spent at least $175,000 related to COVID-19 thus far, with the number continuing to grow. Wages have been paid out of the rainy day fund while council on Wednesday approved a transfer of $50,000 from the cumulative capital development equipment line item to a new category specifically for supplies and equipment related to COVID-19.

Culy said she plans to apply for the first round of reimbursement as soon as possible.

“I’m going to do my best,” said Culy of the effort to get funds reimbursed. “Ami Huffman, she is invaluable,” she added. Huffman, director of Jay County Community Development, is helping the county and each of its municipalities apply for the reimbursement.

Council members Jeanne Houchins, Ted Champ, Cindy Newton, Gary Theurer, Amy Runyon Barrett, Mike Rockwell and Faron Parr approved additional appropriations, including $50,000 from the infrastructure fund for renovations to the Jay County clerk’s office that are in progress. Others were for $6,000 from the jury pay fund for trials through the rest of the year, $2,000 from the cornerstone perpetuation fund for the location of cornerstones and $550 from the drug buy fund.

Also approved Wednesday was a total of $13,569.15 in transfers for Jay County Retirement Center.