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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > January > 29 > Entry
$4.6 million down, $2.4 million to go
Butler County leaders have tightened their belts to the tune of $4.6 million after a second round of budgeting, according to County Administrator Tim Williams.
But they must find more fat to cut to fill the projected $7 million hole in the county’s $97 million budget, he said.
“We’re substantially there right now, but we do have a little bit more room to go,” Williams said. “We’ve got to make some hard decisions.”
And as they crunch the numbers in coming days, commissioners may have to take matters into their own hands and cut the budgets of other elected offices, according to County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette.
The biggest budget reduction so far came from the county commissioners themselves, who trimmed the departments under their control a combined $1.5 million. Sheriff Richard K. Jones reduced his budget request roughly $1 million, and the Butler County Juvenile Court reduced its budget roughly $500,000.
Nearly all county offices have cut budget requests to some extent — though many are still seeing increases compared to 2008 — except for the Butler County Common Pleas Court. Administrative Judge Michael Sage didn’t submit a revised budget. He instead sent commissioners a letter saying the court’s original budget was more reduced than many other offices.
Commissioners also Thursday took a renewed interest in employee pay, looking at automatic annual increases some departments get and pay range ceilings for some jobs.
“I think some of the salaries have gotten basically out of hand, so I think it’s something we need to look at,” said Commissioner Charles Furmon. “We need to look at that and work with the unions if at all possible.”
Furmon raised the issue mere minutes before commissioners entered a closed door meeting to discuss the county’s union contract with the Butler County Water and Sewer Department, which boasts some of the county’s highest salaries.
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