Herndon Town Council approved to re-appropriate project funding from the previous fiscal year to the current one. Photo by Reena Singh.
Projects that were not finished by the end of June were held up until the first Herndon Town Council meeting this month.
The town council unanimously approved to re-appropriate funding from the previous fiscal year to the current one to keep projects, including for the Herndon capital project, moving forward and spur new projects during the July 8 meeting.
The fiscal year ends June 30, said town Director of Finance Mary Tuohy, and the town council is asked every year to review and approve reserving money not used in the previous budget for ongoing or upcoming projects.
“Without this authorization, the work or acquisition requirements may still be valid, it may still be on your list of things you want to accomplish, but the funding would not be there, so the work could actually not be done,” she said.
Among the projects the town plans on working towards is creating another office space for a new senior accounting position.
“I sometimes feel like the old woman in the shoe with too many people and not enough rooms,” said Tuohy.
Other projects include the continuing capital project.
“This budget has already been approved?” asked councilmember Jasbinder Singh. “The last town council approved it?”
He also asked if the resolution just makes sure there is money - which the town already has - is available for the projects.
“We are increasing the budget by the amount in the reserves,” said Tuohy. “What you’re also doing in this action is you’re approving what we call rolled purchase orders, open purchase orders.”
She said that by approving the resolution, they are “recognizing the commitments of the town.”
Although the resolution was accompanied by a public hearing, no one from the audience spoke for or against it.
The resolution had to be voted on in two parts - to approve the reserve of Fiscal Year 2014 for new and outgoing projects as well as to amend the FY 2015 budget to recognize the reserves for the projects.
“We’re sold,” said Mayor Lisa Merkel.
In other business, the town council also approved to make town parks and playgrounds voluntary smoke-free zones and appointed councilmember Grace Han Wolf as the town principal for the Dulles Board of Directors committee.