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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories BLM eyes first phase of Jack-Ash non-motorized trail Since You Asked: Noise issues may have changed Ashland streets Snapshots in time Body found in creek north of Central Point Emergency services, Feb. 8 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Body found in creek north of Central Point Emergency services, Feb. 8 Emergency Services, Feb. 9 Man stabbed by wife during argument in Medford Saturday The Sovereign Among Us Politics and Elections Kent Bush: Fraud kept alive by the left and right Walden sets town halls on Friday Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Education Sharing black culture SOU board names officers, committees SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign Parent files discrimination complaint against Ashland schools Some gains, some losses Environment Solar pavilion going up at Coyote Trails GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Jackson County won't set up wolf kill compensation program Commercial users can get rid of pesticide waste for free Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills State News Letter says Kitzhaber official fired after Hayes criticism Attorney general says Kitzhaber's ethics allegations 'troubling' Willamette football player pleads not guilty to manslaughter 'In God We Trust' leads to Klamath County debate Bill calls for relocation of Washington state wolves Nation - World Obituaries Helmut "Harry" Podlech Alson "Al" Velma "Ruth" Thornton Trudy Butler Jean Yvonne Baumer Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Young, Oregon dominate Washington State Plum, Washington overwhelms Oregon Blazers take charge late in Houston Spartans come up short on road Perfect Fit Varsity 541 College Sports Young, Oregon dominate Washington State Plum, Washington overwhelms Oregon Perfect Fit No. 7 OSU downs WSU Beavers defeat Cal Poly, 26-10 Pro Sports Blazers take charge late in Houston Spartans come up short on road Great day for Day Mavericks rally, down Blazers in OT With Davis hurt, Bulls rout Pels Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Erickson layoffs land hard in Jackson County People in Business Blog: Stay Calm Erickson announces 150 layoffs, mostly in Oregon 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? 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GOVERNMENT Auditor: Jackson County finances strong County's weathering loss of timber payments Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am --> What do you think?Have an opinion on this story? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this story? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter » Social News Jackson County is in a strong financial position despite dwindling federal payments meant to offset losses in timber revenues for counties, according to auditors. "You've done very well managing through a challenging time and perhaps a lot better than some of your peers out there," James Lanzarotta, a partner with the auditing firm Moss Adams LLP, said in a recent presentation to county officials. Rural counties are struggling to cope with the loss of federal payments that compensated them after steep logging declines cut into timber harvest revenues shared with counties. Jackson County has a large share of federal land within its borders that is not subject to county property taxes. Lanzarotta noted Jackson County has millions of dollars less in revenue than four years ago, largely because of declining federal payments. Yet the county has continued to invest in infrastructure such as roads, bridges and equipment. He said many other government entities are falling behind on infrastructure investments. "They're going to have to write a big check at some point down the road. You've been writing those checks and keeping things maintained," Lanzarotta said. Overall spending is down for the county. Expenditures were $160 million four years ago, compared to $146 million last year. Revenue four years ago was $170 million and dipped to $153 million last year, Lanzarotta said. He said the county has been successful at attracting outside grants and contributions from the state and federal government and other sources. That has allowed the county to continue providing services to its residents.  County general fund balances that carry over and act as a financial safeguard have fallen from $73 million in 2010 to $47 million in 2014, Lanzarotta said. County Administrator Danny Jordan said Jackson County had the highest general fund balance of any county in the state four years ago, including Portland's Multnomah County, which has a bigger property tax base. Jackson County is now in second place. "We've spent it down making investments, but we've also maintained a very secure position, especially compared to other counties in the state," Jordan said. Lanzarotta said the county doesn't have any unfunded obligations toward the Public Employee Retirement System, the retirement plan for government workers. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report prepared by Jackson County was free of material errors and violations of state and federal compliance regulations — a significant accomplishment for an entity of Jackson County's size, auditors said. "Perfection is nice to strive for, but it's probably an unattainable goal. This is probably about as close as we've seen in a long time," Lanzarotta said. Jackson County Commissioner Doug Breidenthal said the error-free document was a testament to the outstanding work of county employees.  Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 8, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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