In step with a trend shared by other local municipal governments, Cullman County’s budget for the upcoming 2023-2024 fiscal year marks the largest its elected representatives have ever approved, circumscribing $79,946,797 across all departments and including a largest-ever annual General Fund of $31,467,929.

At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Cullman County Commission adopted the new budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, while noting that both spending and revenues are set to increase — the later a function of across-the-board upticks in the collection of property, sales, and the state’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax, among other sources of revenue.

“This represents the largest budget, by revenue, that Cullman County has ever had,” county administrator John Bullard informed the commission as the five-member group unanimously approved the new budget. “Cullman County is growing, and we’re all doing our best, under the supervision and direction of the commission, to be good stewards of revenue.”

The new budget’s General Fund increase marks a $3,451,605 jump over last year’s $28,016,324 General Fund, balanced against anticipated revenues of $31,579,290 in the coming year. That figure does not include separate departmental budgets that operate via dedicated cost recovery, federal subsidy and other funding sources.

An estimated $4.5 million in General Fund money has been budgeted for transfer to other county departments; subtracting that amount from the FY 2023-2024 total of $31,467,929 leaves a remaining General Fund balance of $26,705,834 for the coming year.

At 33.4 percent of the all-encompassing $79,946,797 figure, the General Fund constitutes the largest proportion of the county’s FY 2023-2024 operating budget. Close behind is the water department, with its approximate $13.49 million budget representing 18.4 percent of the overall budget and is funded entirely through user fees. The county road department will operate with an approximate budget of $12.47 million (15.6 percent of the overall budget), while the cost-recovery sanitation department, at an estimated $8.35 million budget, accounts for another 10.4 percent.

Within the $31,467,929 General Fund, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office — which also encompasses the Cullman County Detention Center — claims by far the largest portion with an estimated allocation of $16.26 million, or 51.39 percent of the General Fund. The Cullman County Revenue Commissioner’s Office represents the next-largest allocation at approximately $1.51 million (4.8 percent of the General Fund).

Other FY 2023-2024 General Fund allocations in excess of $1 million include the Cullman County Probate Office (approximately $1.41 million, or 4.5 percent of the General Fund), the commission office itself ($1.41 million/4.5 percent), courthouse maintenance ($1.13 million/3.6 percent), and departmental transfers to the parks department ($1.27 million/4 percent) and the Cullman County Commission on Aging ($1.1 million/3.5 percent).

A complete copy of the county’s newly-adopted budget, including detailed departmental funding information and additional information about appropriations made to outside local agencies, is expected to become available online (visit www.co.cullman.al.us/commission.html#budget) in time for the Oct. 1 start of the 2023-2024 fiscal year.