There is a possibility Lincoln County’s 2012 budget may be smaller than the previous year.
Speaking at the Lincoln County Budget Committee’s meeting Dec. 1, County Commissioner Sheridan Bond said that the budget could be just under one percent less than the previous year.
“We’re in excellent financial condition,” Bond said.
While the final figures have not been fully tallied, Budget Committee Chairman Ed Polewarczyk estimates the 2012 budget will be some $250,000 to $300,000 less than last year.
State Rep. Les Fossel (R-Alna), present at the meeting, praised the news.
“To hear that the government is cutting costs is going to be music to people’s ears. I congratulate you,” Fossel said.
The Budget Committee must wait for revenue figures to come in from November and December to determine the final budget numbers. Union contract negotiations, currently underway, may also influence the final tally.
According to County Administrator John O’Connell, the biggest budget change will come from Two Bridges Regional Jail.
In an updated chart showing the estimated funding for each department in 2012, the jail will receive 13 percent less from the previous year. The savings primarily stem from a smaller funding requirement for the jail.
“I think we should look pretty good going forward,” O’Connell said.