MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County has $10 million more to work with this year than originally expected. That from county finance officials, who say through reconciliations and adjustments, the county is looking to gain approximately $10 million toward its fund balance from its 2011 budget.
The additional money was reported last week during the legislature’s monthly voting session, when legislator Chuck Nazzaro (D-Jamestown) pointed to the additional money as an opportunity to apply for a federal IGT grant for the Chautauqua County home. Following the voting session, WRFA talked with County executive Greg Edwards and asked if the news changed the $14 million budget shortfall he’s been predicting for 2013.
“I have not seen anything that really substantially impacts that $14 million deficit – revenue verses expenses – going into next year,” Edwards said. “But we’ll continue to [look for ways] to lessen that amount. We have been successful in realizing some unanticipated surplus from years previously and that will give us a little bit of cushion in our fund balance. That’s good news going forward, but I have not seen anything substantially change in the 90-percent of our costs that are driven by Albany. I am ever hopeful but right now things are pretty much stagnant.”
Edwards said any additional money that is found this year should be used to replenish the county’s fund balance, rather than being used toward the general operating budget for 2013.
In total, the county is expecting to see a net variance of $10.13 million. County finance officials have stressed, however that the total is preliminary and subject to change. In an article in the Jamestown Post-Journal over the weekend, Edwards said the variance is the result of “numerous factors” that resulted in a surplus. He noted that many of reconciliations were unexpected, and therefore, were not budgeted in 2011.
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