Augusta County saw one of its largest budget surpluses in recent years.

The $3.5 million surplus comes from the 2017-2018 budget, and the county says it's because of a good economy and some good luck.

The board of supervisors says it comes from a combination of several things — the county didn't overestimate the amount of money coming in this year, and departments handled their budgets well.

Additionally, the cost of fuel or electricity did not go up, which saved the county some money.

People also spend more in a good economy, which brings more money to the county.

"People are eating out more, they're building more houses," said Gerald Garber, chair of the board of supervisors. "Every one of those little fees, sort of incrementally, is a little better than what we hoped for. So collectively, it makes a good ending."

The money will go into the capital account for the city. About two-thirds of the money will go towards the court house renovation. The other portion of the money will be spent on other needs within the county.