Washoe County commissioners on Tuesday approved un-budgeted transfers of $3.6 million to cover the revenue shortfall expected to continue through the end of the fiscal year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 fiscal year ends June 30.
Nevada Revised Statutes allows funds to be transferred between accounts if they don’t increase the total appropriation for the fiscal year and if they’re not in conflict with other statutory provisions.
Commissioners approved use of the county’s general fund contingency account of $5.3 million, approved un-budgeted transfers of $3.5 million, and approved $264,000 of net zero budget appropriation transfers. The moves will help provide resources to the general fund due to COVID-19-related revenue shortfalls.
Transfers are coming from the county’s risk management and marijuana funds.
Washoe County has spent between $9 million and $10 million responding to the coronavirus outbreak. It received a partial reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“It is therefore necessary to use the county’s General Fund Contingency account and approve net zero appropriation transfers to help pay for these costs prior to reimbursement from FEMA and to cover the non-FEMA reimbursed portion of costs,” budget manager Lori Cooke wrote in a report to commissioners. “Total contingency and net zero transfers is $5,661,000.”
Commissioners also approved a resolution to transfer $3 million from the county’s stabilization reserve account into the general fund coronavirus cost center to pay expenses incurred to mitigate effects of the pandemic.
Due to concerns for public safety and pursuant to the state emergency directive, the Washoe County Commission Chambers weren’t open to the public but the meeting was streamed online and videos can be obtained at https://www.youtube.com/user/WashoeCountyTV and at https://www.washoecounty.us/mgrsoff/Communications/wctv-live.php.
Public comment was accepted via voicemail, email and Zoom.