WENATCHEE — Chelan County commissioners on Dec. 19 adopted the county’s final budget for 2023, with expenses budgeted at about $51.5 million.
Commissioners shaved off about $200,000 from expenses from the preliminary budget that was passed in November. But expenses still outgrew the 2022 budgeted amount by close to $1.9 million.
The expenses cut in the final 2023 budget were mostly made by eliminating nine unfilled positions which will not be filled next year, said Jill FitzSimmons, Chelan County spokesperson, in an email.
Commissioners conservatively budgeted revenues for the 2023 year at $47.7 million — about $1.2 million more than the 2022 budgeted amount.
Revenue has declined or remained stagnant from the Community Development department which handles land use and building permits, along with court fines and fees, said Cathy Mulhall, Chelan County administrator, in November.
In order to fill the $3.7 million hole in the budget, the county plans on using that amount of general reserve funds in 2023. About $3.2 million out of the $3.7 million comes from the general fund but was taken out over the last two years and not yet used, according to the county.
That will leave a projected about $9.8 million in the general fund at the end of 2023, according to the budget.
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