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Michael Gaffney, of Abraham & Gaffney, CPS, Rochester Hills, reported the general fund balance stood at $1.42 million as of Dec. 31, the close of the fiscal year, of which $1.29 was undesignated and available for use.

The balance, up approximately $455,000 from the previous December, was "definitely a positive situation in these economic times," Gaffney told the county board.

He said the ending balance reflected 12.15 percent of the budget, exceeding the recommended range of 8 to 12 percent.

"Everyone did a good job holding the line," said Commissioner Norton Schramm, referring to county departments.

"It was a unified effort to get to this point," said Commission Chairman John Merriman. "It's going to take a unified effort to stay here."

"In 2003 the fund balance was something like two or three percent which was not healthy," said Administrator John Males after the meeting. "And the delinquent tax fund, which is the county's savings account was below a million dollars. We went to work on a financial recovery plan that included all departments and all county entities. We did a 26.49 percent budget cut - on top of a two percent budget cut."

The county put a hiring freeze into effect, and implemented changes in the health care plan that saved $549,000 and "was reflected in the 12 percent fund balance," Males said.

"We're trying to maintain that healthy fund balance in the general fund, and to build the delinquent tax revolving fund... We tried to maintain services to the public, all areas of mandated and non-mandated For a while we thought we were going to have to do significant reductions."

Males added, "I credit a lot of people working together for our financial recovery."

In other business last week, commissioners: