Supervisors approve deal for annual audits, purchase of firetruck

By MATT MILNER Courier staff writer

January 08, 2008 11:11 pm

— OTTUMWA — Supervisors on Tuesday approved a deal that will cover the county’s annual audits through the end of this decade.
The agreement covers the audits for June 30, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Iowa counties face an annual accounting. The reports then go to the state. Anderson, Larkin & Co., has covered the audits for some time, and will continue to do so under the new agreement.
Money matters appeared several times throughout the course of the meeting. The supervisors also released the last of the money for fiscal 2008 on Tuesday. The appropriations are often done at the beginning of the fiscal year. This time supervisors decided to withhold a portion of the money until the first six months of the year went by. They said at the time that gave the county a better cushion and allowed more flexibility for unforeseen circumstances.
The initial appropriation covered 90 percent of the budget.
“That’s what we’re going to do tonight, appropriate the other 10 percent,” said Supervisor Jerry Parker.
The board also approved purchase of a new, $290,000 firetruck for the Wapello County Rural Fire Agency. Six townships and the town of Chillicothe are part of the agreement. They will cover the cost of the firetruck, but the county backs the purchase under Tuesday’s vote.
“If for some reason the townships defaulted, what would happen? We’d be liable?” Supervisor Steve Siegel asked.
The response was clear. The county is liable if the townships defaulted, but no one feels that is likely. The supervisors unanimously supported the purchase.
Housekeeping took most of the time for the county supervisors during Tuesday’s meeting. The first meeting of the year always means an extensive review of the county’s appointments to boards and committees. Terms expire for members of different boards every year, and the supervisors have to fill in those spots at the beginning of January. Most cases involve reappointments, and there was no debate.
There was a significant announcement, though. The county has had no luck filling the historic preservation board. It was down to one member, and that term expired with the new year. Supervisors decided to seek a new group of people who are willing to serve on the board, rather than continue limping along.
Tuesday’s appointments include the board itself. Supervisors decided to stick with the typical rotation for the board’s chairman, a position that usually changes at the first of the year. But Parker, elected chairman for 2008, held the post entering the year. He moved up from vice chair when former supervisor Mike Petersen, the 2007 chairman, resigned. Tuesday’s decision gives him a full term.
The board voted Siegel vice chair for 2008.
Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com