MANSFIELD — It’s become an annual lunch bet Richland County Auditor Pat Dropsey doesn’t mind losing.
That’s because it means the county is ending the year financially even better than the long-time auditor projected.
Several weeks ago, Dropsey bet Commissioner Tony Vero two lunches regarding the county’s final 2022 general fund revenue. The admittedly cautionary Dropsey projected $42.3 million. Vero predicted $43.2 million.
The commissioner crowed victory on Thursday during the final scheduled board meeting of the year.
“We presently sit, per Mr. Dropsey this morning, at exactly $43.2 million while we wait on the last payment from the City of Mansfield on the jail, which is about $602,000,” Vero said, which would raise the final revenue number to $43.8 million.
“Pat was wrongfully low, pathetically low. Really just a sad forecast by our auditor, whose name goes on gas pumps and you’d think he’d be spot on,” Vero said with a smile.
Dropsey repeated what he said when the bet was made. He’s happy to be wrong.
“I stated that weeks ago,” he said. “If I lost because Tony won, I’ll be more than happy to pay.”
The year-end revenue numbers allowed commissioners to make other positive financial decisions.
Richland County ended 2022 with about $6.8 million more in revenue than expenses.
The county entered 2022 with an $8.1 million cash carryover and commissioners on Thursday opted not to add additional money to that fund.
Instead, commissioners voted to:
— allocate $1,362,841 to a debt fund to pay off work done at the county dog warden’s facility and improvements the county phone system.
— move another $1.9 million to the county’s “rainy day” fund, increasing that to $4,782,703. Per rules set by commissioners, no more than 5 percent of the previous year’s general fund revenue can be moved into the budget stabilization fund.
— allocate $3,431,909 into the county’s capital projects fund, which raises that to $9,205,032. Commissioners have approved a capital expense budget of just more than $1 million in 2023.
Add those pots together (carryover, rainy day and capital) and it totals $22 million
Those figures don’t include $13,185,950 the currently has remaining from its $23 million allocation in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Those funds will be boosted by another $100,000 coming from the U.S. Treasury Dept. through the Local Assistance & Tribal Consistency Fund for which counties around the country can apply.
Vero and Commissioner Darrell Banks were initially elected in 2016 and joined former Commissioner Marilyn John, who now represents Richland County in the statehouse.
“Marilyn, Darrell, myself, and now (Commissioner) Cliff Mears made a commitment to the county taxpayers that we would balance the county budget without added cost to the taxpayer,” Vero said.
“We are pleased that the county’s budget is in excellent shape six years after the board makeover took place. We will continue to work hard in maintaining that commitment with one of the lowest (sales) tax rates in the entire state of Ohio,” Vero said.
