Heated Debate at Budget Commission Meeting

Zanesville, Ohio- A heated debate occurred today at the budget commission meeting.

The Muskingum County Commissioners and Clerk of Court, Todd Bickle, argued over the allocations of special revenue funds overseen by the Clerk of Courts. The funds pay for processing titles and set aside emergency funds for economic downturns. Bickle explains the process for allocating excess funds.

“However, if there is an excess in that amount of funds than there could be an agreement reached between the clerk of courts and the commissioners on the amount to transfer. If there is not an agreement then the budget commission with their three distinguished members they then determine whether that money should be transferred in and what amount and so forth.”

Bickle feels the Commissioners wrongly took the excess funds without his agreement with a resolution that was passed seizing 450,000 dollars from the reserve fund. The Commissioners feel they have done nothing wrong and were pleased when they heard the ruling.

‘The Muskingum County Budget Commission decided to declare an excess in the Certificate of Title Administration fund in the amount of 450,000 dollars. That money will be placed in a county general fund for a use on various projects.”

Bickle hopes part of the funds will be put into replacing the Slack Road bridge in Newton Township.