Grey County is on its way to some significant budget savings – nearly 1.2 million dollars — if projections are correct.
County council was presented on Tuesday with a report from Director of Finance Kevin Weppler.
The report details budget to actual figures up to June 30th for the county’s four standing committees — finance and personnel, planning and community development, social services, and transportation and public safety.
All four committees reported savings that have led to projections of surpluses at year end.
These projected surpluses range from a low of 53 thousand dollars in planning and community development to a high of 436 thousand in finance and personnel.
The other figures are 284 thousand in social services and almost 407 thousand dollars in transportation.
Weppler says the main reason for such good news in finance and personnel, in particular, is an unexpected decrease in WSIB and short-term disability rates.
Weppler also attributes some of the positive news to unexpected funding from the province which he also says should bode well for 2012 and beyond.
But Weppler says the projections are not set in stone.
He notes staff and directors have to work hard to make sure the efficiencies continue, and there must also be continued good fortune to keep WSIB and disability claims at or near their current levels.
And the surpluses do not necessarily mean everything is rosy.
In planning and development, revenues at Grey Roots are lower than expected and this could affect the museum and archives’ ability to meet its budget projections.
Weppler’s report says staff at Grey Roots are working to adjust expenditures to help balance the figures there.
He says that’s a benefit of monthly and quarterly reports, which allow managers to communicate with directors about their budgets and make necessary adjustments.
The next quarterly report will use data up to the end of September.
