T he budget process began with seven hours of hearings where
officials, department heads and individuals presented their requests
before the committee.When projected expenses that included the
budget requests and county costs were tallied and weighed against
anticipated income, there was about a $500,000 difference, in the
hole. The committee then had their work cut out to make cuts.
Earlier this week there still remained about $50,000 to cut. Two
choices were brought to the table. Make across-the-board cuts to
departments or go through each department and make line-by-line
cuts.
Finance chairman Chuck Ruben favored the percentage cut. "I don't
think there's any one way that is fairer to every department," he
said. A 1 percent cut to budgets was an action everyone thought they
could agree to. On further examination, using examples, it was
thought that the departments would be able to absorb the difference
easily.
Michael McIntosh reflected that all of the officeholders have
been watching themselves and have done really well in handling the
budget problems.
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Ruben agreed and went down the list and office by office, noting how
nearly all had kept under their budgets last year. "Yes, they've
been very good," he said.
He said that he would be satisfied with the amount that a 1
percent cut, applied to all general government department budgets,
would provide. "I just don't want a negative balance coming out of
the gate," he said. The $50,000 would meet his goal to create a zero
balance between expenditures and revenues.
While there would still remain a $450,000 balance to carry over
into this year's general fund as surplus, that amount is far less
than what is recommended.
Auditors recommend at least 20 percent of the county expenditures
be kept in reserves. The county expenditures are approximately $6
million. For Logan County, that amount should be a minimum of $1.2
million.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST] |
