Washtenaw Admin Gives 2nd Quarter Update

Washtenaw County’s finance staff and county administrator Verna McDaniel gave a second-quarter budget update to the county board of commissioners at its Aug. 3, 2011 meeting. Expense reductions haven’t materialized as much as expected, but property tax revenues were higher than anticipated. When commissioners originally approved the 2011 budget in late 2010, they had anticipated using $5.289 million from the county’s fund balance. But because property tax revenues were about $3.5 million higher than initially projected, less of the fund balance will be used.

The county now expects to use $2.9 million from its fund balance during 2011. Without that transfer, there would be a projected $2.5 million deficit for the year, on a general fund budget of roughly $100 million. Among several shortfalls on the expenditure side, about $1.034 million in anticipated non-departmental lump sum reductions have not materialized.

McDaniel plans to give the next budget update – for the third quarter of 2011 – in November. She anticipates presenting the county’s 2012-2013 budget to the board for its review in September.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building at 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow.