By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON -- With hopes of securing the fiscal future of St. Lawrence County, legislators have approved a plan to help build back the county’s fund balance and end a tradition of borrowing money to pay the bills.

For months legislators have been holding meetings aimed at getting the county’s struggling finances in order. For nearly a decade that county has borrowing about $10 million a year in order to have adequate cash flow for payroll and operating expenses.

County legislators place much of the blame on the state through a combination of unfunded mandates and untimely reimbursements for expenses. Despite raising the sales tax a few years back, the county has been unable to grow it’s fund balance, which is the county’s cash on hand.

According to the policy adopted Monday the county aims to maintain a fund balance equal to 15 percent of the total budget, which equates to $34 million in the 2016 budget.

However, legislators acknowledge that can’t be achieved in a single year. Instead the plan calls for building the fund balance by 1 percent or about $2.2 million each year until the 15 percent mark can be achieved.

“It is recommended that fifteen percent of annual appropriations is a responsible amount for the fund balance. For 2016, with appropriations of $227M, that would be the equivalent of $34 million and there is recognition that is an extraordinary amount at this time. However, in recognition of the recommendation, the requirement for St. Lawrence County will be 1percent per year until such time as the 15 percent is achieved,” the resolution says.

The county has also set the goal of not letting the fund balance behind below 5 percent of the total budget.

“In the event that unassigned fund balance exceed fifteen of adopted budget appropriations, the annual policy review will include consideration of temporary suspension,” the resolution says. “In the event that unassigned fund balance fall below five percent of adopted budget appropriations, the Budget Officer shall make a recommendation to the Finance Committee to restore the fund balance to the minimum level in the next budget year or appropriate period of time.”

The policy was developed in response to recent audits from the state comptroller’s office.