County audit report shows Huerfano solid

by Bill Knowles
WALSENBURG- County auditor Ron Farmer gave the county’s books a clean bill of health during Wednesday’s Board of County Commissioners regular meeting.
According to Farmer, the only thing of note was expenditures out of certain funds. “Some funds were overspent,” Farmer said. “But that was due mainly to transfers from one fund to another.” He also noted that Huerfano County has a net worth of about $9.6 million as of the end of 2010.
“Good fund balances show 25 percent to 33 percent of the balance expended. The county is showing that kind of fund balance. But the ambulance fund is running about $76,000 over on revenues. That’s unusual for most of the other funds,” Farmer said.
The general fund is healthy with about $3.7 million at beginning balance.
The area of largest expenditures is for social services. However the department receives large infusions of both federal and state funds that rounded out their $6 million expenditure for 2010. Another factor that increased social services spending was the overall deterioration of the general economy.
There was an increase in the cost for the purchase of two additional roll off dumpsters. Two weeks ago the county was contemplating spending around $8,000 for the two dumpsters, however cost increases have driven the price up to around $14,436. The dumpsters are to be used at the transfer station. Funding will come from the PILT fund.
With recommendations from both emergency management and the sheriff’s office there will be a fireworks display at dusk at the Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center this fourth of July. The condition will be that a fire department have a truck on site. Earlier in the month a fire ban had been the reason for the county to consider banning the annual fireworks display.