County trims $2.5M from budget

Lincoln County Commissioners have teamed with Lincoln County Clerk Tammy Lauer to hammer out a $15.566 million 2013-14 budget that is $2.5 million leaner than the one submitted last year.

“We’d like to take credit for all the cutting, but we can’t,” Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said Monday. “So many people have stepped up to do their part.”

The 2012-13 budget appropriated $18.66 million to run the county.

While the county has tightened its belt, Berget said some of the cuts resulted from expired grants and other revenue sources.

Berget explained since the county lost about $2.7 million in the form of Secure Rural Schools funding, officials have been looking at ways of cutting the budget. The county used that money to fund the Road Department.

The current budget still allows for $14.83 million in cash reserves, but that account is $2.71 million lighter than the previous year.

“We can’t help that,” Berget said. “Cash reserves are going to go down, but we want to minimize the effect. We don’t want what’s going on in Sanders County.”

Nearby Sanders County does not have as much money stashed away Lincoln County, and commissioners there are looking at layoffs.

In achieving the leaner preliminary budget, Berget specifically mentioned  sacrifices made by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.

“Roby (Bowe) and Brent (Faulkner) have really stepped up. That and (Treasurer) Nancy (Trotter Higgins) are doing things now that will make future cuts easier,” he said.

Berget said the county is not finished tightening its belt, indicating the county will need to cut a full fifth of its budget of a year ago during the next four or five years.

The Sheriff’s Department squeezed out about $209,000 from last year’s $3.899 million budget.

The 2013-14 General Fund is $1.18 million leaner.

Other significant cuts include the Library Fund and the Planning Fund of about $25,000 each.

The Extension Service, which saw the full-time position trimmed to half-time, realized a $17,568 cut.

Also, the Search & Rescue appropriation dropped by nearly $10,000 to $9,716.

Commissioners will take the preliminary budget to Eureka for the commission’s 10 a.m. meeting on Aug. 21. There will be a Libby meeting on the budget at 10 a.m. Aug. 22 with possible approval during on Aug. 28.

“We’ll see if we can get it done,” Berget said.