Leflore County department budgets are under close scrutiny by Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham, county administrator.
Abraham expects monthly meetings will hold department heads accountable and avoid end-of-the-year crises.
"The idea is to increase management and keep better accountability of individual budgets," he said.
The county's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 until Sept. 30.
The county administrator began holding budget meetings in October to review financial operations of each department.
Unexpected emergencies, such as mechanical repairs and gas prices, can strain a budget.
Abraham discusses potential solutions with department heads to avoid operating in the red.
Sometimes, purchases can wait six months, or improvements can hold off, the chancery clerk said.
He uses his office as an example. The purchase of record books for the next couple of years could incur a one-time expenditure of $5,000.
If the department has only $3,000 budgeted for office supplies, it's necessary to find ways to work through that, Abraham said.
T.W. Cooper, director of Leflore County Emergency Management, said the meetings have helped.
"It's a good idea," Cooper said. "It lets everyone know they are part of the overall operation."
Emergency management carries around 12 budgets because of various federal grants.
Keeping track of the various budgets requires common sense, according to Cooper. "Don't buy the things you can't afford."
