County commissioners again seeking budget transfers to offset shortfalls

LACONIA — Continued projected shortfalls in the areas of the Belknap County budget have again prompted county commissioners to seek permission to move money around in the county budget to offset the shortages.

The commissioners are scheduled on Monday to present their request to the County Legislative Delegation’s Executive Committee, seeking authorization to transfer more than $100,000 from the contingency fund to offset anticipated deficits in budget line items for the County Nursing Home, the Corrections Department, and county administration.

The commissioners unanimously voted to seek the transfers at their last meeting meeting on July 15.

The meeting with the Executive Committee is set for Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the County Complex conference room.

Commissioners want authorization to transfer $64,100 to fully fund county administration auditing services, as well as cover the cost of the unexpected purchase of a new hot water heater for the county Corrections Department, provide additional money to cover the higher costs associated with the new contract for inmate medical services at the county jail, and cover overtime pay for the county employee who runs technical equipment during meetings.

Another transfer, of $46,455, is being sought to cover four areas of the Nursing Home budget, including administration health insurance costs, and auditing services.

On March 1 the Executive Committee rejected the commissioners’ request to have nearly $16,000 transferred from contingency, of which $15,841 was earmarked to cover the full cost of auditing the county’s financial records as well as its handling of federal coronavirus relief money.

When the delegation's executive committee was reviewing the budget early this year prior to sending it on to the full delegation for approval, it cut $15,841 from the $43,750 the commissioners said would be needed to cover the cost of the audits.

Responding to the transfer request in March, the committee said it was premature and unwarranted because there was no emergency to justify transferring the money from the contingency fund at that time.

County Commissioner Glen Waring told the committee budget projections showed that the budget for county administration alone could end up $10,167 in the red without an infusion of additional money.

While the need for the infusion of funds was not then urgent, Waring cautioned the committee that county department heads needed reassurance that funds would be reallocated as necessary to cover expenses as they continue to drive a department’s budget closer to deficit territory.

State Rep. Ray Howard, who chairs the committee, acknowledged at the tme that the committee would probably need to re-evaluate the need for fund transfers later in the fiscal year.