Commissioners have one month to balance budget
By Hayden Seder
Blaine County commissioners last week began deliberating on a spending plan for fiscal year 2020 that starts with a shortfall of $5.6 million. The gap represents the difference between what county department heads say they need to operate and how much revenue the county expects to collect next year.
“We started with a $5.6 million deficit on Thursday of last week and are now down to $2.2 million after Thursday, so we’re still a ways from setting a tentative budget,” County Clerk JoLynn Drage said.
Hearings are open to the public and there will be two more sessions at the commissioners’ meeting room; one on Wednesday, July 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and another on Thursday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Before the hearings, various departments of Blaine County put in requests and stated budget needs to the board. These departments include administrative services, assessor’s office, auditor, Blaine County Fair, courts, emergency communications, geographical information systems, information technology, land use and building services, liability insurance, noxious weeds, probation, prosecuting attorney, recorder, recycling, road and bridge, sheriff, treasurer and waterways. To see what each department is requesting for their budgets, documents are available on the county website.
After this week’s meetings, a tentative budget must be set and published no later than the third week of August, Drage said.
Blaine County School District
Blaine County School District has also launched its rounds of budget hearings for the 2019–2020 school year. According to the district, trustees will be drafting the spending plan using so-called budget guiding principles. They include funding priorities such as:
Provide support to accomplish the district’s Strategic Plan goals
Provide equity in resources to ensure all students meet and exceed standards (close the achievement/opportunity gap)
Maintain district commitment to its Class Size Policy, which values small classes
Maintain a balanced budget while building an unassigned fund balance
Trustees have been pressed hard in recent weeks by a group called I-Care (Idaho Citizens for Accountable, Responsible Education) to restrain administrative costs, which they feel are increasing too much when compared to student population and student performance.
“The budget hasn’t been our focus, but no matter what the district claims, administrative costs go up every year and all administrators received a raise this year and we think overall administrative costs are far too high,” said Barbara Browning, a concerned Valley resident who has led the charge to see Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes terminated.