By MIKE PACHE

CARTHAGE, MO. - Jasper County commissioners could face possible budget cuts for next year.  The Jasper County commissioners and auditor held a budget meeting Tuesday at the courthouse in Carthage.

They say sometimes you have to play the cards you have been dealt.  But after the Jasper County commissioners look at the proposed general revenue budget they may find that they have to do some reshuffling.

 

Jasper County auditor Richard Webster does not have the best of news for the commissioners.

"Our revenues are down in 2009, close to $400,000," Webster says.

And the news is not going to get better in 2010.

"We're going to have additional expenses," he says.  "It's an election year and that always costs us a quarter of a million dollars extra."

Add to that increasing insurance plans for employees and the preliminary total appropriations for 2010 sits at almost $16.5 million for the general revenue budget.

With the county's projected revenue estimated to be on $15.2 million, that leaves the county about $1.2 million in the red.

"Right now I estimate the carry over to be $750,000," says Webster.  "I need $1.2 million to balance this budget, so I'm short."

That leaves a $450,000 void for commissioners to fill.

"This year we've got a crunch," says presiding commissioner John Bartosh.  "We've had a downfall.  The state has cut back 700 jobs, that is one thing we don't want to do.  We're going to look at it other ways."

Cuts from departments could be coming but Commissioner Bartosh does not want to speculate on which ones until he meets more with the other commissioners.

"I'm sure there is something I don't know if we can come to where we got to be but there is money out there some place," Commissioner Bartosh says.

Some of that money could come from cash reserves as the county has more than $900,000 but auditor Webster says those should be used as a last resort.

"I don't like to cut into reserves but if we can't find anywhere else - I'm sure you can find somewhere to reduce costs," Webster says.  "That is something the commission will have to look at."

Commissioners have until January 10 to decide what gets cut and set a formal budget.

There was also a salary meeting at the Jasper County annex building.  Committee members voted to not increase wages for elected officials and county workers in 2010.