Whitfield County in the black for 2011

Whitfield County commissioners received some pleasant news this week when December 2011 finance reports showed the county came in $1.9 million under budget for the year 2011.

"There will be some adjustments to this," accounting supervisor Melba Andrews said Monday night. "But it is certainly good news for the county."

Andrews attributed the savings to lower health care costs and not filling some positions in Juvenile Court and the public works department.

"We did get some reimbursement from insurance-stop loss, and that is just a one-time occurrence," she said.

Andrews said sales tax revenues were up 2.32 percent for 2011 over 2010.

"That is one indication maybe the economy is beginning to turn around," she said.

Commissioners also heard from Dan Rogers, chairman of the Trade Center Authority Board, on the continuing discussion of funding for the center.

"If people think that the Trade Center is to make money or even break even -- that is a fallacy," he said. "Many events do occur at the Trade Center, but to think it is to make money is being shortsighted."

Commissioners talked about trying to get the Dalton city administrator and the county administrator involved in Trade Center budget discussions.

The County Commission has provided about $300,000 a year on top of hotel tax revenues to help fund its portion of the Trade Center. The county also put up $71,000 to help the center meet payroll and other expenses in December 2011.

In other business, commissioners approved renewal of a malt beverage/wine license for Country Food and Tobacco; $9,588 for battery backups for electronic voting machines; and $90,000 to help with county bus transit.

Tom Young is based in Dalton. Email him at tomy1953@netzero.com.