Auditor recommends Cape Girardeau County set conservative budget

An audit of Cape Girardeau County finances showed the county's total net assets increased by 5.5 percent from the previous year.

But economic indicators may spell trouble for the county by the end of this year.

As of Dec. 31, 2008, the county's total net assets were $15,569,561, an increase of $852,546 compared to Dec. 31, 2007.

"You're keeping things under control," Mike Radeke, an auditor with Van De Ven accounting firm, said during Thursday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting.

The audit report suggested the county should consider setting a conservative budget in the coming months, as it could be up to two years before any notable economic growth could occur.

Higher fuel costs for the highway and sheriff's departments, utility cost increases and additional general operational expenses are among the major contributing factors to a decline, the audit found.

While the audit reflected finances in 2008, general sales tax revenue this year in Cape Girardeau County stands at $4,712,259.71, a decrease of 2.94 percent from the same time period in 2008. The audit predicts that declining trend will continue through the end of the year.

Radeke also suggested the county amend expenditure amounts throughout the year. Though a budget is set at the beginning of the year with factors known at the time, Radeke said sometimes the climate warrants changes throughout the year.

"As other factors come into play, the commissioners have to be fiscally responsible for factors not known at the beginning of the year," Radeke said. "It's important that if an emergency expenditure comes up, then they'll have to amend budget and increase it while decreasing somewhere else. They must be aware that the budget document isn't static document and needs to be changed."

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones suggested scheduling a meeting with the county auditor to address the matter.

Other business

Later in the meeting commissioners heard a proposal by city of Cape Girardeau planner Martha Brown to build a portion of Veterans Memorial Drive on county property. Scheduled for construction to begin in a couple of months, the road would be completed in three phases.

The first phase would extend from the Missouri Veterans Home to Scenic Drive. The second phase would be from Scenic Drive to Hopper Road. The final phase would be from Hopper Road to William Street.

Brown asked the commissioners for a 99-year lease on county-owned land along Interstate 55 that would have parts of the road built on it. The commissioners then approved a motion to allow the city of Cape Girardeau to prepare the lease agreement for park property needed on Veterans Memorial Drive.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

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