Controller delivers first financial report
Fayette County Controller Mark D. Roberts issued the first of his regular-to-be reports on the financial condition of the county at Monday’s commission meeting. Roberts noted that in 2004, projected general fund revenue fell short by $1.4 million, while expenses shot up about $432,000 over what was budgeted. The one-page summary sheet he distributed to the commissioners showed the county with a negative cash balance of minus $13,191 when it entered 2004.
Roberts’ report showed that while the county’s 2004 budget was predicated on an estimated $17.3 million in revenue, it only received 91.79 percent of that amount, or $15.8 million.
The report also showed that in 2004 the county took out $3.2 million in temporary loans from other county funds, pushing the total revenue including those loans to $19.1 million.
On the expenditure side, the report showed 2004 projected general fund expenditures of $17.3 million but actual expenditures that were 102.5 percent of that total, or $432,164 more than budgeted. Adding to that picture was the need to repay $1.1 million in temporary loans taken out in 2003, which pushed total county spending to $18.8 million
The county general fund also loaned out a much smaller $174,850 to other funds in 2004, pushing the spending total to $19 million, according to Roberts’ report.
Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said he’s awaiting the formal 2004 county audit, which should be complete in a few months, to see how its conclusions mesh with those provided by Roberts.
“We’ll know (for sure) when the final 2004 audit comes out in the next several months, how those figures jibe, so to speak,” said Vicites.
Zimmerlink, who decided to take Roberts up on his offer to make regular reports at commission meetings, said the report provided Monday was a step in the right direction.
“What I’m going to ask him to do is put it in a spreadsheet format,” said Zimmerlink. “I would prefer to have that, rather than a summary sheet format.”
Also at Monday’s meeting, Zimmerlink, Vicites and Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III unanimously voted to take out a $5 million tax anticipation note through Scottdale Bank & Trust Co.
Basically a short-term loan to tide the county over until real estate tax revenue starts coming in this spring, the deal calls for the county to pay 3 percent interest and for complete repayment by the end of 2005.
In years past the county has regularly taken out such a loan at this time, but they have usually been in the $2 million to $3 million range, making this loan the largest one in recent history.
But Zimmerlink said the tax anticipation note/loan is fully accounted for in the 2005 budget and will thus be dealt with this year from a financial repayment standpoint.
In other matters handled at Monday’s meeting:
? The commissioners accepted the resignation of Delinda Young, Zimmerlink’s administrative assistant, effective Dec. 28 of last year.
? Vicites voted against the hiring of two assistant public defenders because he said a current and qualified county employee wasn’t given preference for the job. He also voted against the hiring of an assistant director in the Human and Community Services program because he said another internal candidate was not interviewed. Both Zimmerlink and Hardy voted for the hirings.
? Heard complaints from Redstone Township resident Jim Meese, 82, who has had a long-running dispute with the county zoning office regarding a strip-mined site next to his. The issue dates to 1972 and Meese, who has sporadically appeared at commission meetings for at least two decades, continues to be frustrated at the lack of zoning enforcement.
Meese in particular directed his ire at Vicites, accusing the three-term commissioner of spinning the issue. “You’ve got the same line you’ve had your whole life,” said Meese, who argued that the decision’s use of the words “according to the testimony” gives a blanket cover to enforcement actions.
Vicites said that the original zoning hearing took place 20 years before Vicites even took office, and that while he’s tried to help Meese by looking into the matter, no one can change the fact that the original zoning decision didn’t contain specific stipulations.
Without such specificity, Vicites said it’s impossible for the county to enforce anything.
? Tabled a decision on selecting a firm to handle the county’s Web site. Vicites said he wants to conduct interviews with the three firms that responded to the county’s request for proposals.
Zimmerlink, who favors going through the established and cost-effective Web site capabilities of the County Commissioners’ Association of Pennsylvania, said she doesn’t want to see the decision drag on much longer.
? Heard from Geraldine T. “Jerry” Mazza of Franklin Township, who praised Zimmerlink for rejecting “behind the scenes” deal-making involving use of Federal Building renovations as matching funds for the a new Uniontown parking garage project.
Mazza conversely criticized Vicites for his willingness to give assurances to those involved with the project as far back as 2003.
“Vince, you would do very well to follow Angela’s lead … it’s time this county had an open government,” said Mazza. “You have no authority to make promises behind the scenes … How can you go promise people things on your own?”
Vicites said that his position on using the Federal Building renovations was no deeply held secret, noting that they had previously been published when the matter first came up.
“I don’t know how much more open I could get than having it published in the newspaper,” said Vicites. “You’re twisting the facts.”