About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2011)
PAGE 6, FEBRUARY 14, 2011, THE ISLANDER Carry-forward concerns Continued from Page 1 for final action. Last October, Finance Director Phyllis McNicoll explained the carry forwards in her report to the finance committee and the full commission like this, “In order to comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Princi pals (GAAP), the county records expen ditures when goods or services are received. The fund balance is reserved at the time a commitment is made to purchase, and a purchase order is issued or a contract signed. Encum brances lapse at year end and in order to re-establish budgetary control over the encumbrances, the budget should be carried forward to the following year.” This year’s list, which was unani mously approved by the county com mission last October, contains over 100 wide ranging budgetary items such as Phase 2 of the Belle Point drainage project ($350,000), the Altamaha Park dock and boat ramp ($242,000) and reference books for the Probate Court ($1,500). While the Fiscal Year 2010 Encum brances Budget carry-forwards to the FY 2011 budget were approved by the county commission on Thursday, October 7, 2010, McNicoll still brought them to the finance committee during their meeting on Wednesday, Febru ary 2. And since the list was already approved and required no action, it was listed on the finance committee’s agenda for discussion purposes, likely because committee members Richard Strickland (Dist. 3) and Clyde Taylor (At Large #1) are new on the commis sion having been sworn in last month, and McNioll was taking the opportu nity to have them review it. While Strickland was mostly quiet on the carryforward discussion Tay lor and Commissioner Amy Callaway (Dist. 1), who chairs the finance com mittee were suspicious of the reasoning behind the list. In an e-mail to the rest to the com mission Taylor said he thought the carry-forward method was used to cap ture unused funds and transfer them to the general fund without proper approval or visibility. The minutes of the Oct. 7, 2010 pub lic meeting, at which the carry-forward list was approved, are available to the public and are on the county’s website. In an effort to further educate him self on the carry-forward issue, Tay lor asked county department heads to answer several questions: 1.) how much money was budgeted for each item; 2.) how much of the money was spent by the end of the year; 3.) how much is needed to finish the project; 4. ) when will the project be done; and 5. ) what is the actual surplus or deficit for the project compared to the original budget number. Even though she voted to approve the carry-forwards, Callaway was equally mystified about the list. “It’s like the money is in no man’s land,” said Callaway. Callaway and Taylor also wanted to know why some of the projects on the list were designated as completed and why others hadn’t been started. Responding to a specific question about $17,500 in the Police-Emergency Management Agency’s budget for “Food - Hurricane Preparedness,” Assistant SLANDER Advertise here! Call 265-9654 for details! Visit us online at www.theislanderonline.com Transfer Seller Tax Buyer Location/Legal Description/Address St Simons $ 175.00 Fannie Mae; Fed Brigman, Lynne L Ptn of Lots 2-3, Blk 7, El National Mortgage Assn Dorado, **201 Rivera Dr $ 248.20 Beard, Sally W Addessi, Ronald B & Elaine Unit 165, Ph V, Demere B Landing Condos, **200 Salt Air Dr #165 $ 370.00 National Transfer Lane, Jennifer Shipley & Lot 3 Parcel 2, Sea Palms Services LLC Mitchell C West, **1026 Sea Palms W Dr Unit 405, 760 Ocean Blvd $ 417.00 DLJ Mortgage Capital Baumann, Michael Trustee; Inc Baumann, Elizabeth K Trust Condos, **760 Ocean Blvd FBO James D Baumann #405 $ 425.00 Ferguson, Michael G & White, Lowell & Merri Lot 67, Ph II, Harrison Karen M Elizabeth Pointe, **141 Rosemont St $ 620.00 Suntrust Bank Goggins, Joyce S & Paul W Unit B, Oceanwood Villas At Jr Coast Cottages, **1557 Wood Ave $ 715.00 Bank of America NA Bartlett, Sandra J Trustee; Lot 59, Ph I, St Simons Island Sandra J Bartlett Declar of Trust Club, **173 Merion 7 Warranty Deeds for Sea Island & St. Simons for week ending 1/28/2011 County Administrator Becky Rowell said the money was put in the budget back when the county evacuated for Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Explaining that certain members of the county staff are required to remain at the public safety complex during a hurricane, Rowell said the money was to provide food for them and it is left in the account and carried-forward every year so the department would have the money without having to tax for it every year. Saying he had not encountered the practice in his government experience, County Administrator Alan Ours, who took the job here last August, said they were going to update the fist and hopefully find some funds that can be put back in the General Fund fund balance. Callaway and Taylor would like to see a simplified and more transparent way of accounting for the money and to put an end to the carry-forward fist. Concerning transparency and ques tions about proper handling of Glynn County money, three things are worth noting: • the Glynn County Finance Depart ment has been recognized with an international excellence in accounting and financial reporting award every year for the last 15 or more years; • the county’s annual audits, con- SLB southbound lanes closed for Bridge Run The southbound lanes of the Sidney Lanier Bridge on Highway 17 in Bruns wick will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 19, for the Ninth Annual Southeast Geor gia Health System Bridge Run. South bound traffic will be re-routed using Highway 341. The northbound lanes across the bridge will remain open. To accommodate the anticipated crowd of approximately 2,000 runners and walkers expected at this year’s event, there are new start times: 8:30 a.m. - Runners (Individuals) 9 a.m. - Fire Fighter Challenge 9:10 a.m. - Teams (Runners & Walk ers) 9:30 a.m. - Walkers (Individuals) 11 a.m. - Awards Presentation For more information, call 912-466- 5165 or 912-258-8220. □ ducted by outside auditors, are satis factory every year, and • the finance director brings the carry-forward fist to both the finance committee and full commission every year for review and final approval and is available to answer any questions the commissioners may have about the fist. □ Living on St. Simons, Ed Kellis has become a neighbor and professional that you can trust. With more than 25 years floor covering experience, Ed Kellis is Brunswick Floors expert for the islands. Call Ed today at 638-9119 or 223-3127 for a free in-home estimate. Brunswick • St. Simons • Kingsland REAL ESTATE and YOU <ppnm By Susan Hardwick • St. Simons Island ABR, CRS, E-PRO, GRI Service • Commitment • Results Consider Staging Your Property More and more sellers have discovered the power of “staging.” It is good to focus staging your property on the five senses. Remember, our judgment and emotions are strongly influenced by what our senses reveal. What are the basics? Let’s begin with sight. All rooms should be tidy and uncluttered. Replace photos, trophies and the children’s artwork with simple, classic decor. You want the prospective buyer to see themselves in your home. Next, comes smell. If it’s tidy, it also needs to smell clean. Remember to avoid harsh chemicals, like bleach — some buyers are sensitive to these smells. Always do the minor repairs before putting your home on the market. Broken or chipped tile; missing or loose handles and wobbly handrails can wave a red flag. Another important factor, be sure that barking dogs; meowing cats; or other pets are not in residence when there’s a showing. Have music from your radio or television shut off if not set down to a very low level of noise. Then, consider the pleasant smell of freshly baked cookies or some other taste treat. Staging is intended to create the atmosphere for the prospective buyer to envision themselves in your home. For the best in professional service contact Susan Hardwick, 638-6660 office,- or 1-877-638-6660, Ext. 625. 638-8782 home,- 912-222-0392 mobile,- e-mail: susanhardwick@bellsouth.net,web: www.seapalmsrealty.com
