The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors will hear public comment Jan. 3 at 10:30 a.m. regarding an amendment and appropriation to the Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget.

According to a public notice from the county, “The total amount of the proposed amendment is $2,191,350 for New Courthouse Capital Project. The new courthouse project budget remains unchanged at $13.9 million.”

Gary Walker, chairman of the board, said the amendment is just a transfer of funds from the last fiscal year.

“The reason for this amendment is in the prior year, we had funds budgeted for construction projects that were not expended,” said Walker. “So, in order to pay those bills this year, we need to reappropriate those funds.”

He said it is not a new budget, nor are there any additional funds.

“The total budget for the courthouse project is not changed,” said County Administrator R.B. Clark. “The debt service has not changed, but we started a little late, and we didn’t pay all the bills that we had anticipated in the budget before the budget period ended. Those unexpended funds have to be appropriated again in order to use them.”

“But we won’t be voting that day, we’ll wait and vote at the regular meeting,” said Cullen/Red House Supervisor Nancy Carwile.

Walker said no voting would be done; it was just a public hearing reading the amendment.

“But I reiterate, there is no new cost,” said Clark.

The new Charlotte County Courthouse continues to progress with a projected completion date set for the end of January.

“Of course, the architect and Skanska will walk the building with the contractor to confirm when that happens, but right now we’re shooting for the end of January,” said Skanska USA Building, Inc. Representative Curtis Elswick at a December meeting of the board of supervisors.

He said furniture for the new building is set to be delivered in February as soon as the contractor is finished.

Additionally, furnishing the building could be a 1-2 week process. He said the goal is to have all furniture in the building by the end of February, and it would be ready to be occupied.

The public hearing will be held in the conference room of the Charlotte County Administration Building. The county’s organizational meeting will also be held at 9:30 a.m. The administration building is located at 250 LeGrande Avenue in Charlotte Court House.

Additional details of the budget can be accessed at the Administrator’s Office, according to a notice from the county.