Osmer and board institutes spending freeze
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ALPENA -- On Tuesday, County Administrator Jesse Osmer announced at the Alpena County Board of Commissioner's monthly meeting that he will put in place a spending freeze from October through the end of the calendar year.
Osmer also asked board members if they would like him to write a new set of policies regarding elected official spending.
ANNUAL SPENDING FREEZE
Osmer said that this is an annual action advised by the county's auditor to ensure there is not an onslaught of invoices to process before the county closes its books for 2026.
"It's that time of year again, usually around this time of year, we institute a spending freeze from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31," Osmer said. "The reason being is annually, we tend to have invoices and bills that come in past Dec. 31, which drives our auditor crazy as well as our treasure."
Osmer explained that this spending freeze allows “necessary spending" that was budgeted for previously. It puts a freeze on spending for items such as office supplies and "special projects." However, money that is necessary to maintain everyday functions within the county can get a special exception.
"Usually any necessary spending on things that are absolutely needed ... is done, but this puts a freeze on things like paperclips and any special projects," he said. "They can still bypass that spending freeze by coming to the board and asking for an exclusion."
"It basically just puts a cap on it so that we can start closing our books and getting ready to adopt our new budget," he added.
Osmer told The News that the spending freeze happens in the last quarter of the budget cycle to prevent invoices coming through the next year or after the budget is adopted. That would require adjustments for the auditor.
POLICY ON ELECTED OFFICIAL SPENDING
According to Osmer, there are elected official accounts within the county that the board of commissioners do not provide any oversight. He said that the board's only job is to place elected official spending items on the agenda and adjust the budget accordingly.
"We have certain elected officials who have accounts that this board does not have any oversight over other than making sure it’s listed on the budget," he explained.
One example is the Register of Deeds Office which has its own account.
"Only she can spend that money and it can only be spent on very specific things within her own office," Osmer said. "It comes before this board usually just so we can make the adjustment on the budget."
Osmer asked board members if they'd like him to rewrite the policy which would allow those elected officials to get approval from either the treasurer or Osmer.
"Would (this board) like me to put in a policy that these specific funds ... in order to allow them to go ahead and spend it with approval of either the treasurer or myself or another elected (official)."
"That way they don’t have to wait between meetings and they need to move that money," he added.
Osmer told The News that this policy would streamline the process for the county and the board. He added that certain elected officials are given sole oversight over these accounts because it is written into state statute.
The board unanimously approved a motion to allow Osmer to rewrite the policy and bring it back to the board for approval.
Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.