January 16, 2008

Wakulla County Growth Update

We are all aware of Wakulla County having been a fast growing county for many years.  Just as our population has grown, so has our tax base, our revenues, and expenditures as a County government.

Several people, many of them new residents, have asked about how our county is funded, how the budget is broken down, and I have been able to point them to our web page section on Citizens Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

Of late, there have been a few questions regarding how much our county has grown during the last few years demographically and financially.  Since we have not been preparing the CAFR that long, and in order to provide some information to as many people as possible, I have posted the accompanying information to assist you in understanding where we are and where we were.

As with everything else in life, the devil is in the details.  There are many factors at work in these figures, and the first thing to point out is this is only the general fund. 

Other restricted funds and their activity are not included herein.

By way of an example, the 5 years ago the Ambulance Department was funded by a now discontinued MSBU, and had only a small subsidy from the general fund.  These figures will show you a large growth in this area, in part due to the loss of the MSBU as a funding source.

Speaking of public safety, it may also be important to note that in addition to ad valorem taxes, a major source of funding for the general fund is money generated by housing prisoners at our jail, and the increase in the fees generated by this activity is included in the Other Fees line, and amounts to a $2 million dollar increase from column one to column two.

Also, there are entirely new activities funded by the general fund such as a minor one in the Airport or a major one being the Fire Department.  Lastly, there are some instances where funding has shifted away from the general fund, such as Clerk of Court and Court Related lines.

We hope this information is of help in making you a more informed citizen, and I look forward to serving you as Clerk.

Sincerely,

Brent X. Thurmond, C.P.A.
Clerk of Court