By Howard Greninger
TERRE HAUTE — Faced with less property tax revenue next year, county officials have been reviewing how to trim the 2010 budget. On Tuesday, Vigo County commissioners submitted some cuts based on recommendations from other elected officeholders.
The cuts will result in a reduction of $1.9 million in budget expenses, Commissioner President David Decker said.
The cuts largely include not replacing retiring employees, plus cutting all new furniture requests and some supplies, Commissioner Judith Anderson said.
“We promised we were not going to cut any employees and there are always things you can do, but we can’t afford to cut the people we’ve got or taxpayers will not get the services they are entitled to, so it is sort of a Catch 22,” Anderson said after a meeting with Vigo County Council President Kathy Miller, D-3rd, and Councilman Brad Anderson, R-4th.
In addition, Anderson said the county will not give employee raises next year.
“Some counties have not had raises in three to four years. We just hope our employees are thankful they have a job in these [economic] times,” she said.
One other measure, suggested by Commissioner Paul Mason, is to review how many part-time employees are on the county’s insurance. The county has a policy that only full-time employees can be on the insurance; however, several part-time prosecutor or public defender officials are on the insurance.
After the meeting, Mason said the county will have some additional savings because of lower costs from the Canal Road project, as well as a nearly $1 million project to improve the intersection of Seventh Street and Springhill Drive.
