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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > August > 07 > Entry
Butler County budget update
Fellow reporter Rich Wilson is picking up my slack covering Butler County while I’m in court in Cincinnati for the Dynus trial. Wilson filed two stories yesterday.
Some Butler County employees not part of a collective bargaining unit will be forced to take unpaid days off to make up for lost revenue during the recession.
Butler County commissioners unanimously approved a measure Thursday night, Aug. 6, that uses furlough days in the departments that fall under the commission’s purview.
The Cost Savings Plan will reduce general fund expenses by an estimated $100,000, said county Administrator Tim Williams. The policy mandates 10 furlough days this year for 25 to 30 employees in the commissioners’ office, personnel and records offices and information services, Williams said.
Commissioners also agreed the measure should include an amendment to encourage county officeholders to implement furlough days for their employees to achieve requested budget cuts.
About $1.6 million would be cut out of the budget if the policy is implemented countywide in all general fund departments, Williams said.
Elections officials are waiting to decide where to make heavy cuts to an already lean budget.
The Butler County Board of Elections met Thursday afternoon, Aug. 6, with county Finance Director Pete Landrum to go over the latest financial projections for the elections office.
With tax revenue significantly down, county commissioners have opted to return several departments to 2007 funding levels. For the elections office, that translates to a 13.5 percent overall cut, or $332,990, from its $2.8 million budget.
“The bottom line is the county is in a hole,” Landrum said. “The big thing right now is to move forward.”
If implemented, the elections office will have cut its 2009 budget from what was originally requested in December 2008 by 40.5 percent, according to BOE Director Betty McGary.
McGary said commissioners should have worked closer with her office before deciding how much to cut from its budget.
Any thoughts on either of these issues?
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Comments
By Floyd
August 7, 2009 5:41 PM | Link to this
Betty, you are living with a commissioner, how much closer do you need to get?
By Jeff
August 7, 2009 5:44 PM | Link to this
Is Tim Williams going to take the day off? It will be interesting to see what other elected officials and the boards do here, my bet is nothing.