CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County budget is a work in progress, according to the Clearfield Count Commissioners.
On Tuesday they discussed the issues facing the 2010 budget for Clearfield County. Commissioner Chair Joan Robinson-McMillen said that after the initial budget was put together the county faced a deficit of $2,063,808.76. The commissioners said they are working on balancing the budget and shooting for no tax increase for residents of the county.
“This board is very busy crunching numbers,” said McMillen.
She said there are certain services the county must provide to the public and that the county needs to be able to provide them. However, state and federal cuts are affecting the county’s ability to do so.
“The state continues to give us unfunded mandates,” said McMillen. “Every county is facing the same thing across the state.”
Commissioner Mark McCracken pointed out that the county’s Children, Youth and Family Services department was hit hard by recent federal cuts to the state. He said this was due to the state misrepresenting 2005-2006 CYS numbers to the fed. Clearfield County CYFS took a nearly $400,000 hit to its fund. The county transfer from its general fund to CYFS this year is roughly over $700,000, nearly double last year’s amount according to McMillen.
McCracken said the commissioners are working with the CYFS director and are contacting Rich Gold from the state Department of Welfare.
McCracken said other increases having an impact on this budget are rising costs in health care and the county’s contribution to its employees’ retirement plans. He said the commissioners expected that due to last year’s stock market issues.
“This is a very challenging budget,” said McCracken.
Commissioner John Sobel said the commissioners also want to meet with the two county judges to see what they can do to keep costs down.
A preliminary budget will be passed at an early December commissioners meeting, with the final budget set to be approved before 2010.