Sumter County has taken a $1.2 million hit in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, county administrator Bradley Arnold told commissioners on Tuesday.
The virus shutdown slashed sales taxes, gas taxes and court fees.
Arnold also reported that the county is stepping up virus testing with a pair of trial runs recently at the courthouse in Bushnell and the service center in Wildwood.
He said 61 COVID-19 tests were conducted recently at the county’s Wildwood service center and 41 tests were done at the parking ramp near the Bushnell courthouse as part of an effort to ramp up virus testing.
“It appeared to work well and was the best way to move forward with further deployment,” Arnold said.
Commissioner Doug Gilpin, who wears a mask to every county meeting, said he was tested and received a negative result.
He described the testing program as a “top-notch operation.”
“They were ready-go,” he said.
Commissioners approved a budget amendment that took money from reserve funds to cover some of the tax revenue losses.
With many businesses closed for two months, income from the half-cent county sales was down about $653,000. Tax collector fees decreased by $400,000.
The county also suffered a $265,000 cut in state revenue sharing. Arnold said the state is cutting revenue sharing to counties in half for two months.
On the positive side, the county administrator said Sumter County finally received federal reimbursement for costs related to Hurricane Irma.
He will have another report in two weeks on additional costs of the virus shutdown.
The number of county transit riders is down 65 percent, said Commissioner Don Burgess. He said drivers are provided with masks and gloves and buses are sanitized daily. Driver partitions also will be installed.