Dallas County's 2025 budget should have been reconciled two months ago and commissioners want to know why that hasn't happened.
Weeks into the new year, the county still doesn't know how much money it has to pay bills. That's the county auditor's job.
Adding to the concerns of commissioners, auditor Timothy Hicks first said the county was $6 million dollars in the black. Later, he told county officials that the number was a negative $24 million.
Andy Sommerman says he and commissioners are disappointed that the county's checkbook still is not reconciled.
"We were surprised by all numbers that were given to us, all of them," he said. "We thought we had landed the ship correctly, or at least budget had, that we're all good. Now we're $6 million in the black. Well, let's all cheer that. But when you start being told you're in the red, it asks the question, 'Why? What happened? What's the challenge?' But we don't have a final number yet. We don't have it. So how do we deal with that?"
County auditor Timothy Hicks did not immediately return KERA's phone and email messages requesting comment.
The latest estimate commissioners were told they have in the bank is negative $12 million.
Commissioners, administrators and the budget team have been given no answers about where that money went, Sommerman said.
"We were told that it's going to be by the end of the week," he said. "I hope he keeps to his word, but in the meantime, it has made things difficult."
County commissioners do not hire, fire or appoint the county auditor.
That position is supervised by administrative judge Andrea Plumlee.
Following recommendations by an outsourced firm last year, county leaders created a chief financial officer position.
Dana Foster Allen was hired last spring to fill that role and manage some functions of payroll as another backstop for checks and balances.
Though it creates more work and takes time, the budget team could potentially create scenarios for differing balance numbers.
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