County battens down for tough economy

MONTROSE — As the economy tightens, so do the county’s budget projections.

Montrose County’s preliminary budget for 2009 is up by less than 1 percent over 2008’s — enough to sustain operations, but little for expansion.

“We probably will end up not having much more money,” County Commissioner Bill Patterson said.

“We basically have scaled back our expectations. We still will have a balanced budget. It should mean we basically can sustain the same operations we have now.”

The total recommended budget is about $47.9 million, supported by revenues of $47 million, or $373,242 more than received in 2008.

This difference between the proposed 2009 budget and the revenue is due in part to one-time projects scheduled in the general fund — such as lighting at Nucla’s Hopkins Field Airport — finance director Nita Emerson said.

The difference between expenditures and revenues will be made up from the county’s fund balance, for essential projects.

Emerson said the recommended budget is enough to keep the county afloat. “Revenue is actually pretty flat and expenditures end up being flat, too,” she said.

The county’s new public safety sales tax and use tax for the road and bridge department brought in revenues well below initial projections.

“We’re actually budgeting less for the sales and use tax because of the economy,” Emerson said. “We’re hoping it improves, but we’re not going to count on it.”

In 2008, the county based the new tax revenue projections on an amount forecast by consultants, she said.

“I don’t think anybody really expected the economy to take a big dip like it did. We had budgeted a lot more than we will end up getting. We aren’t going to do that this year.”

Emerson said that, for 2009’s planning purposes, the county is decreasing revenue projections by 10 percent. According to the budget document, the county projects a $872,500 decrease in sales and use tax revenue.

Patterson said road and bridge has already scaled back, by deferring paving projects until 2009, in hopes that the price of asphalt would decrease.

The sheriff’s office has also trimmed expenditures.

Patterson said, however, that some decisions had to be made for officer safety, such as mobile data computers in patrol units that give deputies quicker, better access to dispatch services.

Emerson’s list of budget highlights includes significant revenue and expenditure changes in some areas.

Property tax revenues, for instance, are expected to increase by more than $702,000 and payment-in-lieu of taxes, a federal program that compensates the county for property tax it cannot collect on public lands, will increase by more than $500,000. (The county is also due to receive a retroactive payment for its 2008 allotment of PILT, after the program received full funding under the economic bail-out plan).

Grant money will also increase parts of the budget, but countering that are budgetary decreases, such as $100,000 less in Highway Users Tax Fund revenue and another $100,000 decrease in mineral lease revenue.

Patterson said the county’s severance tax distribution was supposed to increase from $65,000 to $300,000, but due to a last minute amendment in the Legislature, the payments won’t increase for another three years.

Expenditures under the recommended preliminary budget include capital improvement projects and legal fees at the airport, new positions, voting equipment, health insurance increases, roof replacements and studies.

Budget numbers exclude hospital revenue and expenditures. Commissioners approve the hospital budget, but are not responsible for the hospital’s operations, Emerson said.

The county commissioners begin budget meetings with departments today. The budget has yet to be approved and changes could be made.

“I’m not expecting anything significant,” Emerson said.

The budget document is available at 161 S. Townsend Avenue, at the Montrose Regional Library reference desk, and at www.co.montrose.co.us