Logan County Auditor Jack Reser reported this week that for the first time in Logan County’s history, the county has issued a Popular Annual Financial Report, providing a simpler way for community members to review and understand some of the basic information regarding Logan County’s finances and local government.
The report detailing 2020 finances and offering a comparison to the past several years’ finances as well is available to the community to view by visiting the county’s website at www.co.logan.oh.us and clicking the “News” tab on the home page and then “PAFR release.”
Free hard copies of the report also are available to the public at the Logan County Auditor’s Office, 100 S. Madriver St., Suite 103.
“As part of our county’s ongoing efforts to improve communications with the community, we wanted to create a more reader-friendly version of the county’s financial and government information that will hopefully become a useful source of information for our community,” Reser said in a release.
“We tried to create a PAFR that is interesting and will help people learn a little more about Logan County, where the County’s money comes from and how it gets spent.”
According to the PAFR document, Logan County covers 467 square miles and has a population of 45,672 people, per 2019 estimates. In addition to Bellefontaine serving as the county seat, the county includes 12 villages and 17 townships.
County revenue totals for 2020 was reported as $204,372,622, and expense totals were $196,269,944. Comparatively, revenue totals for 2019 were reported as $177,390,241, and expenses totaled $175,869,921.
For the county’s general fund, total revenues of $18,418,713 were reported for 2020, and expenses were $18,653,000.
Pre-pandemic general fund totals for 2019 included revenues of $19,176,911 and expenses of $19,220,916.
The PAFR report also shows the distribution of county’s tax revenues, including the largest percentage — 65.46 percent — distributed to the county schools; followed by 6.23 percent to the Logan County Board of Developmental Disabilities; 5.88 percent to townships; and 5.34 percent to the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center; along with other distributions to a number of different entities and public services.
Additionally, the report provides a graphic detailing the projects that make up the county’s outstanding debt totaling approximately $44.89 million, with the largest debt portion of approximately $17.77 million financing the Logan County Sewer District project, to be paid off in 2055; followed by the Logan County Courthouse project, with $13.52 million outstanding, to be paid off in 2048.
Logan County also publishes an AOS Audit report, which provides financial information in much greater detail. Both reports are presented using generally accepted accounting principles, the standard format for government accounting.
In addition, the Logan County detail activity can be seen reviewed online at: www.checkbookohio.gov, and via the county’s website.