Linn votes to review budgets every six months

The Linn County supervisors voted 3-2 to start reviewing department budgets every six months, instead of once each year.

Supervisors Brent Oleson, Lu Barron and Jim Houser voted for the measure Wednesday, outnumbering Supervisors Ben Rogers and Linda Langston.

Historically, the supervisors have reviewed budgets in January and February, certified the county's budget - $121 million this year - in March and turned their attention largely to other tasks for the rest of the year. Oleson argued in February that a year is too long to let the county budget go without a formal review.

He proposed that supervisors withhold half of each Linn County department's budget until department heads give an account of their spending in the late summer or fall.

“This forces us to do a second review, so to speak, drill down,” Oleson said. “What company would say, ‘Here's your $16 million, we'll see you next year?”

Supervisor Ben Rogers said Oleson is misrepresenting how supervisors oversee the budget, and argues the proposal might cause more problems than it solves. He said supervisors and county finance officials already communicate with department heads year-round, and the supervisors already have the authority to review a budget at any time and remove an appropriation.

He said six-month appropriations might disrupt the plans of departments whose spending fluctuates with the seasons, and big departments will likely lobby for an exemption from the requirement.

“Six month appropriation is not done in the private sector,” Rogers said. “This will be an interesting experiment.”