Feb. 24, 2014. The tedious task of preparing the upcoming budget is well underway. In January, capital improvement plan packets were mailed to department heads and returned to the county manager’s office.
Overlapping into the prior weekend, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners held its annual budget retreat on Friday and Saturday, and a meeting with department heads is scheduled for Tuesday with worksheets due back to the finance department by March 20.
Always a hot topic this time of year is funding – or lack thereof – to nonprofits. County staff mailed out requests to funding for outside agencies in early February. Funding to these agencies account for most of the public comment that the commissioners hear during a public hearing on the budget in May.
After reviewing expenditure requests and revenue estimates within the departments and agencies and holding meetings with the individual entities in April, staff will submit its recommended budget to the commissioners to review prior to two work sessions in early May.
A public hearing on the budget will be heard in May and the budget will be adopted in June.
For more details on the 2014-15 budget, check back to HCPress.com or click to the Budget Retreat’s packet.