Discretionary Funds, How Much: At their May 1 meeting, the Corvallis City Council laid out their priorities on how to spend remaining discretionary funds left from the fiscal year 2022-2023.
From a city budget standpoint, these aren’t huge dollars, but city agencies and nonprofits often raise their hands and point to small needs when these funds become available.
For FY 22-23 the council had a beginning balance of $49,300 in discretionary funds. Of that amount, $34,300 was originally budgeted and $15,000 was a carryover from the FY 21-22 Green Grant Program. Fiscal year to date Council has expended $135 of its discretionary budget for the purpose of Social Service Task Force, this made up the remaining balance.
What the Council Decided: “I’m asking $12,000 Fire Department for new radios, $10,000 to the Corvallis Arts Center, $2,000 towards Corvallis branded clothes, $5,000 Corvallis green grants, a second Owl System for the Madison Ave. meeting room for $1,100,” said Councilor Paul Shaffer as he made the first motion on how to spend the funds. “I ask the remaining funds to be used for furniture in the children’s section of the library.”
These totals were presented by Councilor Shaffer and compiled from a list of several possible expenditures the city could put the additional funding towards. A motion was made to remove the green grants from the list and fund the remaining items, that passed in a vote of 6-3.
“One of the things I thought about very carefully is should we be spending this money at all or should we recycle it back into the general funds,” said Shaffer. “I view this money as a way to plug holes or one-off and these are things that would do good things for the City of Corvallis and its residents.”
Health Department Vacancy: The Benton County Board of Commissioners will look at how to fill a current vacancy for the Health Department Director. At a goal setting work session on May 9, the commissioners will give an update on the current recruiting process.
In March, April Holland was appointed as the Interim Health Department Director for Benton County effective on March 15. Holland took over for the outgoing Director, Suzanne Hoffman, who is now serving as the Interim County Administrator.
“Although this served the County well following a failed recruitment and through the height of the pandemic response, filling the position now will better support stability and progress,” said Hoffman.
By Jennifer Warner
