Delaware County Council on Oct. 28 approved a slate of intra‑fund transfers and several appropriations intended to cover year‑end payroll, overtime and utility shortfalls across county departments.

The council voted to move funds within department payroll lines for the clerk and elections offices, EMS and paramedic positions, sheriff deputy lines, jail overtime, highway project staff and several smaller offices. During the meeting, Carrie Dye of County Highway told the council the county had received a $40,000 state reimbursement for the highway project and that money would recur in 2026: "we did receive that money last week. So we received it for '25, and then we'll receive it for '26 moving forward," she said.

Why it matters: several presenters and council members said the transfers do not change the bottom line but move budgeted funds between lines so the county can pay employees and vendors through the end of the year. Council approved a $364,025.91 appropriation that included attorney and disability adjustments as well as materially higher allocations for electric ($200,000) and sewage ($65,000) utility lines, and an equipment/lease correction of $24,000.

Community Corrections Director Jane Miranda explained a large PERF (pension) transfer for that department was driven by grant accounting: "PERF is gonna get paid out of this grant and not get paid out of project income money … we need to spend the money out of the grant all the way down to 0, otherwise I have to give the money back," Miranda said, describing why payroll and PERF charges were reallocated into grant funds.

Public safety and overtime: council members repeatedly pressed department representatives on rising overtime. One council member noted the transfers would add roughly $192,000 into overtime accounts this year and warned that ongoing reliance on overtime "indicates that we don't have enough employees to do the work." County staff and a sheriff's representative said injuries, military leave and open positions had produced unused regular‑pay balances that could be moved to overtime lines; Sheriff Tony Skinner later urged that public‑safety vacancies be excluded from any prospective hiring freeze because "the jail… has the most turnover of any county entity."

Other items: the Delco Fair and Expo requested extra funds for winter diesel, gasoline and winterization of buildings; Fair manager Donna said revenues were "pretty comparable" to last year despite removing Monday carnival rides. IT staff and commissioners flagged plans to evaluate phone lines, liability insurance and paper/HVAC supplier contracts for near‑term savings.

Outcome and procedure: multiple transfers and appropriations were approved by roll call during the meeting. Presenters included Whitney (finance staff), Carrie Dye (County Highway), Jane Miranda (Community Corrections), Donna (Delco Fair) and Nancy (sheriff/finance liaison). The council recorded votes and moved the transfers forward as presented.

What’s next: county leaders said several of the reallocations are routine year‑end adjustments but asked department heads to examine operational efficiency and staffing to avoid repeating large overtime transfers in future years.