The Clark County Fiscal Court on Wednesday approved the first reading of the 2012-13 fiscal year budget, which projects a surplus of about $400,000.
Commissioner Rick Smith made the motion, and Commissioner JoEllen Reed seconded the motion.
“We will get that forwarded to the state local finance officer and get their approval, and get it back for a second reading,” said Clark County Judge-Executive Henry Branham.
The 2013 budget projects total receipts of $15.98 million, and budget expenses of $15.58 million.
The general fund is projected to have a $1.43 million surplus at the end of next year, with receipts at $12.83 million and expenses at $11.40 million.
The jail fund is expected to have a $1.03 million deficit. The county will have to make up that deficit from its general fund, and that amount is included in the general fund’s projected numbers.
The road fund, the Local Government Economic Assistance fund and the special reserve fund should be balanced.
The 2013 budget also includes $82,000 from Clark County Community Foundation grants that commissioners decided not to awarded this summer. Instead, those funds will be carried over into next year’s budget to help replenish the county reserves.
Branham presented a draft budget to commissioners at the April 26 court meeting. During that meeting, representatives from Clark County Community Services, Community Education, New Beginnings and the Winchester-Clark County Adult Education Center, organizations that typically receive Community Foundation funds from the county, asked commissioners to reconsider keeping those funds.
The budget also includes about $16,000 in one-time pay raises for county employees, which are typically distributed around Christmas.
In November, the court members will decide whether they can add in employee pay raises to the 2013 budget. They will also decide whether to increase funding to the Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Department from $194,000 to $254,000.
Commissioners decided to revisit the pay increase issue and to postpone the parks and recreation increase until they see how revenue numbers are in November.
