Northampton County Council received its annual report of its 2021 finances yesterday, thanks to an independent audit. The county received an unmodified opinion, which is the best opinion a county can get. No material misstatements were detected, as well as no comments suggesting a need for better internal.
Some highlights:
The county's net position has increased by $42 million over the past two years.
64% of the county's revenue comes in the form of federal and state grants. Only 25.7% is the result of tax revenue.
The increase or decrease of the amount of money in the general fund at the end of the year, as compared the end of the previous year, represents the profit or loss of the county. Northampton County ended 2021 with $7.9 million more than it had at the end of 2020. So the county showed a $7.9 million profit.
The general find balance at the end of 2021 was $61 million, and $48.9 million of that is unassigned. Thus, the county had $48.9 million to spend.
The only suggestion was that all staff receive training in cybersecurity.
Is this from various federal stimuli? If so, wasn't that dough supposed to be used for emergency needs and not to fix legacy problems (i.e. sit there until an incumbent needs a cardboard check campaign at re-election time? If wrong, I stand corrected. But good news at Gracedale is not tempered by the per patient cost of getting compliant. There normally seems to be missing pieces.
ReplyDeleteThe County is not in the position that they should be showing a profit. If they are showing a "profit", they are simply taxing us too much. Cut our taxes by the amount of the profit and then I will say "GOOD JOB COUNTY". Until then, all they've done is create a slush fund for the opportunity of irresponsible spending.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't want to cut taxes, they may want to take advantage of this "windfall" to do some things that really need their attention. How about that pay study that the employees have asked for, or improvement of our parks system or guaranteeing voter security and improvement in our most precious of all our freedoms THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
Blue run counties used federal funny money to fix their longstanding financial mismanagement vs emergency spending to survive a global pandemic that required sliding boards to be closed to children. We were told this wouldn't happen. Yet, here we are. Never let a crisis go to waste.
ReplyDeleteThe above three comments are the result of a general ignorance of county government and its funding, as well as the fascist desire to vilify the other and portray people in stark categories as blue or red.
ReplyDeleteAll counties - blue and red - are funded in large part by the state and federal governments for human services. Perhaps you like to see children murdered or sexually abused in their own homes. Or maybe you like to see the elderly preyed upon, or the mentally challenged wither away with no help. The federal and state government provides funding so that this can be mitigated. Like it or not, government does play a role in making our lives better. This is not "funny money," but is money that takes care of our children, elderly and mentally and physically disabled. It is put to very good use.
The reason the county showed a profit at the end of 2021 is because its expenses were lower than anticipated and its revenue was greater, and guess what? There was a tax cut in this year's budget. Perhaps you should pay a bit more attention before braying away on topics about which you know nothing.
Finally, the federal funding under the CARES and American Rescue Plan Act was spent as required. In fact, one of the purposes of an independent audit is to ensure that happens.
The simple reality here is that the county is run well financially. In my view, it needs to pay its people better, but this "blue" county is actually quite tight-fisted with the dollars it receives.
Like it or not, this blue county is a good fiscal steward that is actually ahead of most counties in its management of public dollars. Like it or not, that is because of McClure.
Hey Bernie,
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the administration in NorCo but it seems like they have been doing a good job over the past few years. It would be good to know haw the various administration did as a comparison for the last 40 years. Political party and if they had a profit or loss at the year end, to see how the county ran financially.
We've lost the ability to applaud good news if it so much as provides an inkling of credibility to what the "opposing" party ("red" vs. "blue") has accomplished.
ReplyDeleteGracedale's skyrocketing cost of compliance looms. The county is not well unless you ignore the elephant in the room.
ReplyDeleteNobody knows government like you Bernie.
ReplyDeleteIs some of the money related to COVID money received?
ReplyDelete"Is some of the money related to COVID money received?
ReplyDeleteAsked and answered.
"Gracedale's skyrocketing cost of compliance looms. The county is not well unless you ignore the elephant in the room."
ReplyDeleteSorry to burst your bubble, but there's some great news about Gracedale. I'll report on it tomorrow.