Bourbon County Commission approves budget amendment

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- The Bourbon County Commission approved an amendment to the 2011 budget during a public hearing Friday in the commission room at the Bourbon County Courthouse.

During the meeting, commissioners discussed the need for the amendment, which will increase expenditures in the employee benefit fund from $2,034,200 to $2,135,460 and increase the expenditures in the road and bridge fund from $1,880,794 to $2,225,000.

Commissioner Allen Warren said the amendment was needed by the end of the calendar year to avoid violation of state law concerning budgets.

"We're over what we've budgeted," he said. "We have the opportunity to amend (the budget) before the end of the year."

Warren added there is "plenty of cash" available in the budget to cover the expenditures and there will be no additional cost to taxpayers.

Bourbon County Clerk Joanne Long has said the expenditures came in over what was budgeted, largely due to the rising cost of employee benefits and fuel. She said the county did replace some equipment, which led to the increase, in the road and bridge fund.

The figures approved following the hearing will be adopted as the maximum expenditures for the funds for the year.