T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Jeanette Schwall, director of Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services, discusses the county’s general fund budget for the upcoming year with commissioners at Monday’s meeting.

WOODSFIELD — Monroe County’s general fund budget has been set at nearly $13 million for the coming fiscal year with anticipated expenditures exceeding projected revenues by more than $1 million.

Jeanette Schwall, director of Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services, met with commissioners first thing Monday morning to discuss the general fund budget for 2020. The general fund permanent appropriations for the upcoming year total $12,861,926.80; however the county’s projected revenue is only $11,777,842.27 — that leaves the county with a $1,084,084.53 shortfall, Schwall said.

“What that means is that you have to at least have a cash carryover of that ($1,084,084.53) or more to cover the budgets.

“If for some reason you do not, then the first of the year you’ll have to reduce appropriations accordingly, depending upon how much less you carry over,” Schwall said.

She then explained if the county carried $900,000 over from 2019 to 2020, for example, then commissioners would have to adjust the already approved budget by about $100,000.

“Hopefully that doesn’t happen,” she added.

The Monroe County Care Center also requested a $112,000 advance at the meeting Monday. Of that amount, $85,000 is for the center’s payroll while the remainder is for food and utility costs, Commissioner Carl Davis said.

“We don’t have that in the budget right now,” Schwall told commissioners. “That’s a pretty big chunk of money I don’t think (the care center) had figured in their forecast. He may have some projected advances, but I don’t think to that extent.”

The county must finish the current year with $1,084,084 in order to break even, she said. Commissioner Carl Davis asked if the revenue from the pending sale of the care center had been factored into the revenue budget. Schwall said it had not yet been taken into account.

The care center sale process is underway with a closing date of Dec. 16. At that time, the county is scheduled to transfer the center to buyer Bryan Casey, president of Alternative Living Solutions, who intends to purchase the center for $500,000.

“Without the advances next year from the care center, hopefully that will help,” Schwall said, referring to millions of dollars that have been advanced to the center over the course of recent years.

Schwall then asked Commissioners Tim Price, Mick Schumacher and Davis to sign a resolution approving the 2020 appropriations for the general fund budget. Davis made a motion to accept the appropriations; Price seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

Asked if the sale of the center would reduce the county’s cash shortages, Price said he hopes that’s the case.

Commissioners had approved the 2020 non-general fund budget in October. It is set at $28,899,743.39.

In other commission news, Engineer Amy Zwick met with commissioners and announced the completion of the county’s Ohio Public Works Project Commission on County Road 2. Zwick requested the OPWC disbursement at the meeting.

“Our project is finished, and we are just going to request the full amount that was set up in the original agreement,” she said.

The total project cost is $533,475. Zwick said $400,000 of the money is from the grant, while the remainder is from a loan that the engineer’s office is responsible to pay back.

Schumacher made a motion to authorize Price to sign the disbursement request releasing the funds. The motion was approved.