CLEARFIELD – On Tuesday the Clearfield County Commissioners unanimously approved a balanced preliminary budget without a tax increase for the upcoming year.
The general fund budget anticipates revenues and expenditures totaling $21,434,335, while the overall budget anticipates revenues and expenditures totaling $35,291,847.
Commissioner John A. Sobel, chairman, said when the budget process first began, it appeared the county would end the 2020 year in the “red.”
However, he said Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions of Harrisburg was hired to provide the county in-depth, technical financial and operational planning advice.
He said that a representative from the firm discovered there were two, different line items covering the same expense in the Children, Youth & Family Services portion of the county’s general fund budget.
Sobel said the county in turn “double-budgeted” almost $900,000 for 2018 and 2019 combined for juvenile placement. It was also discovered that this account didn’t have any funds being withdrawn from it.
“That was the primary driver in helping us come up with a balanced budget … with a real possibility of ending with a surplus to the tune of about $400,000,” Sobel said.
“… We’re cautiously optimistic but also being realistic. That’s not a large amount of money, and things can happen over the course of a year to gobble that up quick.”
The budget will now be available for public inspection for the next 20 days at the commissioners’ office and online. The commissioners will adopt the final budget Dec. 17.
In other business, the commissioners:
- proclaimed Dec. 3 as Giving Tuesday in Clearfield County at the request of Bobbie McBurney-Johnson, coordinator of mission advancement for the Area Agency on Aging. #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Johnson said the CCAAA and The Village of Hope have joined the #GivingTuesday movement, along with a number of other local organizations.
- approved a contract amendment with Trinity Food Services for meals for the inmates at the Clearfield County Jail.
- appointed Commissioner Mark B. McCracken to serve as board chairman through Dec. 31, the end of his current and final term in office. He was first elected in 2004.
- approved three employee transfers, eight employee separations/retirements and one extended unpaid leave of absence for an employee.
- approved the bills as presented by the Controller’s office.
- approved the minutes from the Nov. 19 meeting as presented by the chief clerk.
