WCCS, county, finalize 2010 finance ledgers

December 27, 2010

COLUMBIA CITY — Public entities are dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s of their finances in preparation for the end of the year.
Both Whitley County Consolidated School Corporation and the Whitley County Council made appropriation reductions from their 2010 budgets in order to help fund their budgets for next year.
At the county, $481,354 was reduced from the 2010 Highway Department Budget in order to “fully fund the 2011 Highway Department Budget.”
WCCS Business Manager Tony Zickgraf proposed an appropriation reduction from 2010 of $1 million and asked for a transfer of $500,000 from the Transportation Fund to the corporation’s Rainy Day Fund.
Zickgraf told the corporation’s Board of School Trustees last week that putting the Transportation Fund money into the Rainy Day Fund gives the district more financial flexibility.
“It can be used for anything but wages,” he told the board.
Zickgraf said the reduction was made possible by several unexpected things that happened during 2010, including the retirement of a librarian early in the year.
“What you do is say ‘OK, I didn’t spend all my 2010 money, so I want to hold it to help fund my 2011 budget,’” said Zickgraf.
The WCCS board also approved transfers of appropriations throughout the 2010 budget “to zero out various accounts,” said Zickgraf.