City, County amend year-end budget items

By Michael Pommier

The Fort Scott Tribune

As 2008 comes to a close, both Bourbon County and City of Fort Scott governments are finding short falls in their year-end budgets.

The Bourbon County Commission met Monday morning to host a public hearing on an amendment to Landfill fund. According to County Clerk Joanne Long, the reason for the increase was an increase in expenditures including a $20,000 land payment. Long said the Landfill Fund is funded by gate fees rather than tax dollars.

The County budgeted $199,696 for the Landfill Fund to cover operational costs. Due to the increase in expenditures, an amendment was passed to raise the fund to the maximum amount of cash at $263,179.

"We raised it to the maximum amount of cash available, but that doesn't mean we will use it all," Long said.

Long said the total cost is over the budgeted amount by approximately $3,000, but a little extra was added just to be safe.

Likewise, Fort Scott City Commissioners met Tuesday evening to host a public hearing on an amendment to the Wastewater Rate Stabilization fund. An increase in expenditures due to fuel costs, a lowering economy, and the damage cause by the winter and summer storms caused the city to propose the amendment.

The Wastewater Stabilization fund originally budgeted $662,977. The amendment increased the allowable expenditures by the amount of $200,000 totaling $862,977.

"We don't really have choices according to state budget laws," Mayor Gary Bukowski said during the hearing.

Earlier the city commission passed an amendment to the 2009 budget in hopes to avoid any problems next December.