Lyon County financial numbers are looking good for March following a financial report to the Lyon County Commission during Thursday’s action session.
The financial report was delivered by Bobbie Agler and Christie Miller of A&M Consultants during the meeting. County Controller Dan Slater said this morning that the report overall was good.
“There are a couple of areas we are really watching closely,” Slater said.
Among the areas being watched is sales tax collection. The county’s one percent sales tax won’t be collected until July 1, which is much later than anticipated. The half-cent sales tax being collected to pay off the courthouse bonds is doing well, Slater said.
“For the courthouse it was actually best in that particular month,” Slater said. “The other one percent that we would like to be collecting isn’t happening.”
The county had anticipated at least $1.5 million in sales tax collection from the one percent sales tax and likely will only get a fraction of that by the time it is collected.
Interest income is down, Slater said.
“Because nobody wants to pay interest,” he said. “We knew that was going to happen and adjusted the budget substantially (early on).”
Several revenue streams are looking good including prisoner care fees and delinquent tax collections.
“Delinquent tax collections are way ahead of schedule,” Slater said.
Slater said the budget cycle will start soon for 2010.
“This month we will start preparing the paperwork,” Slater said. “If you start too early in the year you really don’t have enough history.”
Slater said the county hasn’t received its audit back yet either.
“Another month and our audit will give us an idea on the budget process,” he said. “The more variables you put into the budget the more difficult it is to work with.”