Expenditures are above budget for Lincoln County but revenues are on par with previous years, according to the county’s administrator.

The 2023 Fiscal Year is 83.33 percent complete, and Lincoln County has received 90.5 percent of its budgeted receipts.

“This is right where we normally are at this point in the year,” said County Administrator Daniel Calcote. “We should receive enough revenue over the next two months to reach our budget.”

Total expenditures are 56.6 percent of their budgeted amounts through July with six departments “significantly over 83 percent of their annual budget,” Calcote said.

The Board of Supervisors is at 109.3 percent of its budget, due to AITX and HOME Grant payments that were reimbursed by grants.

The building and grounds budget is at 98.2 percent of its budget, due to final payments made on March roofing projects.

The Sheriff’s Office is at 93.9 percent due to the June purchase of a new vehicle, and the jail is at 97.5 percent, due to the high cost of prisoners’ medical fees.

District 1 and District 5’s road funds were also high. District 1 was at 106.9 percent due to engineering fees and road construction costs paid on 2021-2022 paving projects. District 5 was at 92 percent, due to a large payment to Dickerson & Bowen in November 2022 for 2021-2022 paving projects.

 

Recommended budget

“My recommended budget includes no increase in the tax levy,” Calcote said as he presented his recommended budget for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year to the Board of Supervisors Monday. Board members will review the 70-plus page document and make suggested changes prior to the next board meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 5.

A public hearing will be conducted at 9 a.m. that day for the public to be heard on budget matters. The board will not vote on adopting a budget until after that hearing.

“In fact, the total tax levy should be decreased for residents outside the city school district since the Lincoln County schools have requested less funds than the prior year and will be seeing a lower tax levy,” Calcote said.

The county administrator said almost all departments need an increase of some kind due to the increased costs “of nearly everything.”