This time of year, Summit County Manager Bob Jasper likes to recite to department heads one of his favorite song lyrics.
The lyric is from the Rolling Stones: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you find you get what you need.”
Even though the Summit County Council doesn’t have to pass a budget until the end of the year, it is budget season in the offices of Summit County. At the end of August, department heads were provided with historical and the current-year expenditure information, and since then have turned in their requests for 2015.
According to County Finance Officer Matt Leavitt, there had been $66 million in requests, and those requests have to be eventually whittled down to about $50 million. He is a member of the Budget Committee, which meets often this month with department heads to discuss requests. “We say no to a lot of things,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said so far, generally there hasn’t been a lot of additional personnel requests, but primarily requests new equipment, facilities and infrastructure. He acknowledged, “We’re behind on maintaining our assets.”
The Budget Committee — which includes Auditor Blake Frazier, Assistant County Manager Anita Lewis, Director of Personnel Management Brian Bellamy, Treasurer Corrie Forsling, and IT Director Ron Boyer — uses the County Council’s strategic plan as a guide when evaluating requests, Leavitt said.
According to the plan, published on the county’s website, the plan includes six strategic issues that help define “what is most important” when determining where resources should be spent.
The issues are a strong fiscal foundation; planning and collaboration; multi-modal transportation; economic vitality and diversity; environmental stewardship; and an engaged and informed citizenry.
On or about Oct. 1, the Budget Committee will forward its recommendations to Jasper. That month, revenue projections are received to help Jasper make his recommendations, and department heads receive a copy of the committee’s recommendations.
Jasper said he looks ahead to try to predict revenue streams and expected expenditures, because “we want to be in a position where we don’t have to do layoffs again.” During the depths of the economic recession, the county had to tighten its belt and cut 10 percent of its personnel, he said.
Now that the economy is better, Jasper said that one of his recommendations to Council will be to invest in an area that was put off during darker economic times. “Focusing on infrastructure will be my recommendation,” he said. “We need to invest in infrastructure,” such as road projects.
In November or December, two public hearings will be held on opposite ends of the county (Kimball Junction and Coalville) as Jasper gives his recommendations to County Council. County Council members are required by law to adopt the budget on or before Dec. 31. If they wait until the deadline, they’ll have to do it without Jasper, who is retiring as county manager on Dec. 17.