It is often observed financially that there’s too frequently more month than there is money.
If expected budgetary needs submitted by Sequoyah County governmental departments for the 2025-26 fiscal year are accurate, too much month and not enough money will be the norm through June 30, 2026, when the county’s annual budget is approved on October 6 by the county excise board.
While the current budget approved by the county commissioners is almost $1.4 million more than the previous fiscal year, it is still only 55% of what county departments say they will need during the current fiscal year.
The commissioners recently approved a fiscal year budget of more than $6.4 million. Although it’s an increase from the just over $5 million approved for the 2024-25 budget, it is still far short of the $11.55 million county departments estimate they will need for the current fiscal year.
Although approved by the commissioners, the budgets for all departments are still preliminary, awaiting final approval from the three-member excise board on the first month of October. The county excise board reviews and approves the budgets of some of the political subdivisions within the county, and sets the ad valorem tax rates in keeping with the Constitution and Statutes of Oklahoma.
Most of the $6.4 million budget the excise board will consider — 60% — is almost evenly divided between general government and the commissioners.
Following is the amount approved by the commissioners compared to the departments’ estimate of needs, and how that amount compares to what was approved for the 2024-25 fiscal year:
• General government — $1.975 million, slightly less than the $1.990 million requested, but an increase over the $1.865 million from the year before
• Commissioners — $1.890 million, almost $400,000 less than the $2.290 million estimated needs, but up considerably from $685,017 for the 202425 fiscal year
• Sheriff ’s office — $980,000, far less than the $5.387 million requested, but a slight increase from the $900,000 approved for the previous fiscal year
• Revaluation — $491,398, which equals the estimated needs, but less than the $504,495 from the 2024-25 budget
• County clerk — $265,587, which is the same as last year, but is slightly less than the $276,587 expected needs for the current year
• Court clerk — $197,544, far short of the $252,987 estimated needs, but up slightly from last year’s $187,600
• Election board — $178,668, not quite the $214,049 requested, but up slightly from $173,000 in fiscal year 2024-25
• County treasurer — $129,067, which is the same as last year, but less than half its $285,087 in estimate of needs
• OSU Extension — $83,200, which is the same as last year, and short of the $108,873 requested for the new fiscal year
• County assessor — $70,987, up slightly from last year’s $70,188, but less than the $113,554 in estimated needs
• Emergency management — $58,000, which is the same as last year and the same as the department’s estimate of needs
• County audit — $51,575, which is the same as its estimated needs, and more than the $28,136 from last year
• District attorney — $20,000, which is the same as its estimated needs, but up tenfold from last year’s $2,000
• Excise board — $10,000, which is the same as last year and the same as its estimate of needs
• Jail — In documentation provided by the county clerk, there was no amount approved and no estimate of needs for the current fiscal year. For fiscal year 2024-25, the jail’s budget was $80,000.
At their next meeting on Monday, the commissioners are expected to reaffirm adjusted budget amounts for general government, commissioners and county clerk, which are reflected in the current budget, prior to the excise board reviewing the proposed budget for final approval.
Other business
In other business, the commissioners recently approved interlocal agreements between: • District 1 and Moffett Public School, Muldrow Public Schools, Town of Muldrow and Roland Public Schools
• District 2 and Gore School, Sallisaw Public Schools and Vian Public Schools
• District 3 and Sallisaw Public Schools The commissioners also approved:
• Inmate housing contracts between Sequoyah County Sheriff ’s Office and Gore, Muldrow, Roland and Vian, as well as a memorandum of understanding between the sheriff ’s office and the Sallisaw Police Department.
• The sale on September 10 of countyowned property to Hickory Ridge Rentals LLC, and the county treasurer’s signing of the deed
• A resolution authorizing participation in new National Opioid Settlements with multiple pharmaceutical manufacturers, and authorizing the chairman of the board of county commissioners to execute necessary participation documents for the class-action lawsuit
• District 2 soliciting bids on a hydraulic equipment trailer
• P Card assignment and county limit letter for authorized personnel conducting county business
• Appointment of Farrell McGhee to replace Shawn Matthews on the Sequoyah County Fair Board
