Cape County commissioners approve preliminary 2021 budget

Cape Girardeau County commissioners voted Monday to approve a preliminary 2021 budget.

Commissioners voted to move $3,098,507 of the estimated 2021 unencumbered balance of $4,598,507 to pay for upcoming capital improvement projects. The county’s remaining estimated balance would be $1.5 million.

According to the preliminary budget, Cape Girardeau County has a balance of $3.5 million, and the county’s estimated income for 2021 is $10,538,782 — $7.5 million of the estimated income is anticipated to come from sales tax, and $3,038,782 from other revenue sources. These amounts combined would give the county $14,038,782 for appropriation, which is expected to be $9,440,275.

Cape Girardeau County Auditor Pete Frazier said the commission has until the end of January to approve the final budget.

“What you see before you is actually a combination of estimated carryover balance and the estimated revenue and expenditures for the remainder of the year,” Frazier told commissioners. “Those are not actual numbers until after the first of the year and we can accumulate those, compile it and finish the year up. Then, I’ll come back and present my final budget to you.”

In other business Monday, commissioners voted to:

• Approve Cape Girardeau County park supervisor Bryan Sander’s request to apply for a Recreational Trails Grant.
• Approve an agreement for two indigent cremations.
• Reappoint Susan Layton Tomlin and Walt Wildman to two-year terms with the Domestic Violence Authority Board.
• Approve insurance renewal with W.E. Walker Lakenan for an amount not to exceed $189,728.