Cowley County commissioners this week took a step toward approving next year’s budget.
Administrator Lucas Goff and county commissioners held a work session Tuesday on the proposed 2019 fiscal-year budget during a commission meeting. Among the challenges to the upcoming budget is a substantial increase in the cost of health insurance: 26.6 percent. The increased cost is based on how the insurance was used by employees in the last fiscal year.
Some years are good and some years are less good, Goff said. It depends on the amount of money the insured use for the services they receive.
Goff is working with the various departments to get them to set aside more money for reserves. His goal is for the departments to set aside 15 percent of their budget every year for long-range planning.
In the past, former commissioners and county administrators did not emphasize planning for the long term. For example, the Road and Bridge Department has about $2.7 million set aside, but that does not go far paying for all the bridge work that needs to be completed. Goff is working to develop a five-year plan for that department.
Capital improvements will also challenge the county. For example, it will shortly be looking at replacing air conditioning in the courthouse — an expense of about $250,000.
Budgets proposed by the various department heads changed little from last year, Goff said, as everyone is trying to keep the mill levy flat.
Goff praised Mary Read, director of community corrections, who has had her budget cut by the state more than once, but went out and found several grants to offset the losses.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)