By Garrett Harr
Peninsula Daily News
PORT TOWNSEND – The Jefferson County commissioners has approved the final 2022-2023 Jefferson County biennial budget.
The commissioners adopted on Monday the 2022-2023 budget for the general fund and other funds,as well asthe 2022 Jefferson County Road Construction Program and 2022 County Capital Improvement Program and the Central Services 2022 Coast Allocation Plans.
Commissioner Greg Brotherton expressed “My appreciation to everyone taking the extra time to include us in the process. I’m very satisfied.”
The only change made to the final budget draft was the inclusion to create a joint human resource position between the public works and county administrator’s office.
This is the second biennial budget. It was developed using a procedure adopted in 2019. The aim is to free up capacity in elected offices and county departments by eliminating one full budget formulation cycle and replacing it with a mid-biennium review and modification.
The budget for all funds for 2022 has an expected $68,975,746 in predicted revenues, with an estimated $73,758,597 in expenses, according to interim County Administrator Mark McCauley.
The general fund for 2022 has an expected $22,655,317 in predicted revenues, with an estimated $24,300,273 in expenses. That would leave an estimated fund balance of $5,183,903, with $1,538,862 in unencumbered funds, after reserving $3,645,041, McCauley said.
Of the general fund’s estimated ending fund balance, 15 percent of the overall expenses of that year are reserved from the remaining funds, McCauley said.
Between the 50 other funds within the county, overall revenue is estimated at $46,320,429 for 2022, with $49,458,324 predicted in expenses, commission documents said.
The general fund budget for 2023 has $23,554,726 in predicted revenues, with an estimated $24,217,004 in expenses.
This would leave an estimated ending fund balance of $4,945,423, with $1,312,872 in unencumbered funds, after reserving $3,632,551, commission documents said.
Between the other 50 funds within the county, the overall revenue is estimated at $55,993,352 for 2023, with $57,295,219 in predicted expenses, commission documents said.
The five-year projections for the unreserved fund balance in 2025 is estimated to have an unreserved balance of $768,951 and 2026 having an estimated balance of $497,065, commission documents said.
