From Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster:

The Cumberland County Codes Department issued 20 building permits, 21 general mechanical permits, and 20 general plumbing permits in January 2024.  A total of $26,672 in fees were collected.

The EMS department collected $334,402 this month for a year-to-date total of $2,431,901 which is $40,598 below monthly projections, and $193,095 below annual projections.  To make the annual budget of $4.5 million, monthly collections need to average $375,000.  When all the billing issues are worked out that have been previously mentioned, I believe we will be on target to our annual budget.  That money will start showing up very soon.

January sales tax collections (for cash register receipts two months prior) for the BOE for this fiscal year came in at $1,362,837 which was $4,587 above projections.  Year to date, collections are $190,529 above projections.  Property tax collections were 67.01 percent compared to 67.22 percent in the prior year.  Hotel/Motel tax collections are $665,514, which is 53.19 percent of the annual $1,251,275.  With six months of revenue paid, prisoner boarding collections are $280,399 of a $386,952 annual budget.

On a related note, a resolution was passed at yesterday’s County commission meeting concerning the authorization of capitol outlay notes at around $195,011, which was passed unanimously.

“This was a housekeeping matter for audit purposes as it relates to the construction and remodel of the archive’s facility.  The original documents that moved money from debt service to pay for the work (so we didn’t have to finance the project), was for a lower amount.  The archives project had to be rebid for various reasons that you have read about in previous newsletters (purchasing the former Progressive Savings Bank building for the archives, then the courthouse issues that caused us to move the County Clerk to that location, then deciding to leave the clerk’s office there permanently and going back to the original plan for the archives).  That rebid was higher than the original bid.  This paperwork was never completed for the difference in cost (the financing was approved with all proper budget amendments) and needs to be done to make sure everything is processed properly according to audit standards.  Long story short, the resolution was approved 17-0.”