County looking to spend smart as budget time nears

County looking to spend smart as budget time nears

Wheeless: ‘ We will be stable and real strong’ at year’s end

news@theeveningtimes.com

With budget hearings soon to get underway, Crittenden County officials are asking their department heads to watch their spending and stick to their line item budget.

Justice Vickie Robertson pointed out that the Election Commission was close to running out of money, the Health Department was over its repairs budget, and that the prosecuting attorney’s office was also overbudget on several of its line items.

“We need everyone to stay in line with their line item as opposed to padding an area and at the end going over,” Robertson said.

“People aren’t looking that we have a line item budget.

They are saying they have money in their budget and are spending it. They are taking money but then when it gets down to the end of the year if they need postage or phone service, they have spent all of the money because they didn’t follow the line item.”

The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had several budget items that had exceeded the allotted line item — $3,000 over on one and $1,000 on another.

“I think that needs to be brought to their attention now because we still have two and a half months left,” Robertson said.

County Treasurer Charlie Suiter said he has already spoken to them about their telephone budget, which was one of the items that is over.

“He still doesn’t know why this is off,” Suiter said. “He said he was going to find out what is going on.”

Robertson asked Suiter to let them know that they are over-budget and need to be careful.

She also questioned why the Health Department was substantially over-budget on its repair budget.

“They spent $800 on something last month,” Robertson said.

County Judge Woody Wheeless said there have been some major sewer issues there. “We have been up there working a lot on that sewer

By Mark Randall