CLEARFIELD – After extensive discussion, board members of the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority approved its January – June 2009 budget at a special meeting Wednesday.
As presented, the budget calls for a total income of $448,472 for July 2008 – June 2009, with the total expense listed at $448,172.
In doing so, the board agreed that both the grant program and commissioners’ discretionary fund should be reduced by 12.5 percent for each six-month period, or 25 percent each for the full year.
Confusion surrounded the budget at a regular meeting last week, when board members were asked to consider it for approval.
At that meeting, director Sandy Fink-Barrett explained that the board had previously approved the budget for 2008. She said a budget, which begins in July and runs through December, was implemented, so that the authority could transition into a new fiscal year that lasts from July 1 – June 30.
The budget presented, then, did not clearly hash out the two, six-month budgets, and board members didn’t feel comfortable with making the vote.
Board Member Hildred Rowles questioned why the grant program figures were reduced at that meeting. He said but at the same time, the commissioners’ discretionary fund, which has always been $30,000, didn’t experience any reduction and remained at its full yearly amount.
At the special meeting, Board Treasurer Rita Hahn fielded the same questions. She said within the last year, they had met with the commissioners who wanted to keep it the same but take better care of the paperwork.
Barrett said she believed the commissioners had around $6,000 left in the discretionary fund. But Hahn said she didn’t think the amount was even that much.
“A budget is a budget is a budget. But if we don’t have income, we can’t be spending,” Board Member Nancy Micks said. “If cuts are going to be made, it should start with grants.”
Board Chairman Wilson Fisher recommended that the board take action. Hahn agreed and said it appears that tourism would be down by $20,000 this period.
Barrett said if the unpaid hotel taxes were paid, it would more than make up that $20,000.
“We can’t presume that they’re going to turn around and pay. We need to be fiscally responsible,” Micks said.
Barrett noted that some hotel taxes have gone unpaid for two to three years. Micks said that those could not be counted as “reliable dollars.”
Hahn said those didn’t actually throw the budget that far off.
Micks suggested that the board begin looking at the figures more closely each month.
“Do we have a finance committee,” she asked. Hahn said the authority had one in place.
Micks said that the committee needs to meet regularly and review the budget. She said the authority can’t continue to spend without first knowing if they’d see a return in income.
Micks said that the entire board needs to become more fiscally responsible. She said the finance committee should be meeting and making recommendations to them.
Board Member Terry Malloy asked if they should approach the commissioners about the discretionary fund.
“Our commissioners are aware and won’t make us, as an authority, spend what we don’t have. We have three commissioners who are all fiscally responsible. I think they would be glad to hear our input,” Micks said.
During the discussion, Micks also said that the CCRTA didn’t necessarily need to offer grants at all.
Hahn said if the board opted for that route, she would have to look further into it. She said she was unsure if a portion of the hotel tax monies had to be put toward grants. Barrett said she didn’t believe so.
Rowles said he believed that both the grant program and the commissioners’ discretionary fund should be reduced equitably.
Micks said again that she believed the commissioners would be pleased with the board’s fiscal responsibility.
“I do, too,” Fisher said.
Micks said that now the board had a grip on its budget that they must continue to stay on top of it.
