Accounting Error Adds $500,000 to Minnehaha County's Proposed Budget

by Jenna Mann
July 28, 2010


The Minnehaha County Commission has adopted a provisional budget for next year, but they're not happy about it.  An accounting error discovered last week adds more than a half million dollars in spending to what commissioners originally wrote.  Some commissioners say they now have to consider making more cuts.

Crafting a $64 million budget for a county takes months of work, especially as the effects of an economic recession linger.

"When we were in the process of writing our budget, we were trying to keep that budget as flat as possible," said Minnehaha County Commissioner Carol Twedt.
    
Minnehaha County Commissioners thought they had the worst of the work wrapped up a few weeks ago, with a budget for 2011 a mere $16,000 greater than in 2010.  But, an accounting error discovered at the last minute by the auditor's office, which writes the budget, means the county could wind up spending $514,000 more than originally planned.

"The revenue for the program we were always accounting for, but we didn't account for the expense side," said Commission Administrative Officer Ken McFarland.
    
Commissioners say while they're not pointing fingers, they're upset a mistake of this magnitude happened.

"We are presented today with a budget that looks entirely different than the one that we agreed upon at our last budget hearing, and it does not make me happy," said Twedt.

"I think there's a lesson there for everyone, in any governmental position, that although you rely on information from all sources, bottom line, it's right here.  This is where the buck stops," said Minnehaha County Commissioner Anne Hajek.

Commissioners say they adopted the much larger budget only because state law requires them to do so by the end of the month, and some want to make more cuts before the plan is finalized in September.

"'Close enough for government work' is not close enough for me," said Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth.

"Believe me, we better figure out a way to go back in and recoup some of that cost," said Twedt.
    
Which means county departments could have to find ways to stretch next year's funding even further than originally planned.    

In the provisional budget, no new positions will be added to the county's payroll, and employees won't get a cost of living pay increase.  A public hearing on next year's proposed budget is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7 at 9:15 a.m. at the Minnehaha County Administration building.