After Kingfisher County commissioners approved a 2020-21 budget totaling $22,606,879.55 at their weekly meeting Monday, District 3 Commissioner Heath Dobrovolny told the Times & Free Press the county is “still very strong.”

“Our county officers have all been conservative and very conscientious with the county’s money,” he said, noting the county ended the fiscal year on June 30 with a $17.3 million cash balance.

County government is funded primarily through ad valorem taxes plus prior year carryover. Kingfisher County also collects a halfcent designated sales tax (see related story).

This year’s valuation report showed total net property valuations for the county at $498,913,542, a 5.5% increase over last year (see story in last Sunday’s paper for more details.)

Funding for nearly every office remained the same or slightly under last year’s appropriations.

The exception is the county jail, which received an increase in funding due to the anticipated increase in maintenance and operation costs at the new jail.

“Overall, regardless of what’s been going on with COVID-19, we’re still in good shape,” Dobrovolny said. “We’re not hurting by any means and I can’t perceive any layoffs or anything like that.

“Our goal is just to make sure we’re properly funding what we’ve already established.”

Approved estimate of needs for each of the county’s accounts include:

District attorney: $20,503.42 (for maintenance and operation, capital outlay and law library – salaries and other expenses are paid by the state).

Sheriff: $877,719.

Treasurer: $264,664.49. County commissioners:

County commissioners: $143,000.

County clerk’s office: $281,389.52.

Court clerk: $199,775.87.

Assessor: $203,433.

County audit budget: $90,937.03.

General government: $19,644,789.38.

Excise-Equalization Board: $5,250.

County election expense: $128,580.88.

Purchasing agent: $75,906.93.

Charity: $5,000.

Civil defense: $79,108.03.

Revaluation of real property: $586,822.

The budget was slated for approval Wednesday by the county excise board and then will be submitted to the state.