County officially adopts budget

The Quay County Commission officially adopted its 2022 budget during an unusually short meeting Monday.

With a short agenda, the meeting lasted just 12 minutes. One of the commissioners, Jerri Rush, was absent, and another, Chairman Franklin McCasland, was forced to attend by phone conference to have a quorum. Robert Lopez was the only commissioner to be there in person.

County Clerk Ellen White also was absent; chief deputy clerk Veronica Marez took over her duties to record the minutes.

The 2022 budget projects $15.18 million in expenditures, with a balance of $6.4 million.

County Finance Director Cheryl Simpson said the final budget contained some minor “tweaks” since the initial budget calculated in May.

Simpson also said the budget also contained no accounting yet for anticipated federal American Recovery Act funds. She said she would recommend a budget adjustment resolution after that money arrives.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved the final-quarter financial report for fiscal-year 2021. Simpson said

• Approved a resolution of certification of the county’s capital asset inventory for all items costing more than $5,000 for the 2021 fiscal year. The total value of the inventory was just over $38 million. Simpson said the list does not account for the ongoing construction projects on Quay Roads AP and 63 and a bridge on old Route 66 between San Jon and Endee.

• Approved the fourth-quarter DWI Office financial report, which recorded $26,310.44 in expenditures during the period and $88,465.26 for the fiscal year. The county’s match for the year was $14,726.28; the rest of the funds were paid by a state alcohol tax.

• Approved healthcare claims of $10,000 in July for the Indigent Claims Board.