The time is approaching for Uintah County to approve their Fiscal Year 2020 budget and the public is invited to offer their input. Uintah County issued the invitation in an announcement on Wednesday stating that public comment will be taken on Monday, November 18th. The proposed 2020 budget totals $68.2 million dollars, a decrease the county points out is $5.9 million dollars below the $74.1 million dollar budget approved for 2019. The county also announced that the commission has hired local CPA Mark Caldwell as the county budget officer, a seasonal/temporary position that was created last month to assist in the efforts to maintain essential services for county residents despite the continued decline in mineral lease funding. Caldwell will work with Clerk/Auditor Mike Wilkins and the directors of the six special service districts as solutions and plans are explored. “The county commission allocates mineral lease money to each of the districts but we have no control over how those funds are spent once they are allocated,” shares Commissioner Bart Haslem. “Those decisions are made by each district’s board.” It’s estimated that the special service districts together need about $13.5 million dollars to operate “in the black”. Mineral lease funds have been trending down , however, and are expected to be at around $10.5 million dollars or less. Haslem further explains that a plan has been developed to operate the districts on about $7.5 million dollars annually without reducing services and part of Caldwell’s job will be to ensure that plan fully complies with state and federal law. A copy of the proposed budget is available to view at the Uintah County Clerk-Auditor’s Office. Monday’s public hearing will take place at 11am in the commission chambers.
