By a 3-0 vote, the Blair County Commissioners tenatively approved a $55.26 million budget for 2003.
The budget is on display at the commissioners’ office at the Blair County Courthouse and adoption for the budget is scheduled for the Dec. 17 meting of the commissioners.
“This is the tightest budget since I have been a commissioner,” said Commissioner John Eichelberger. “We will have a year end balance of $365,000 at the end of the year. When we spend $1 million a week to run the county government, we have left very little room for error.”
The budget keeps real estate taxes at 30.5 mills for 2003.
“It was difficult to keep the budget levels where they are,” said Eichelberger. “It took a good group effort on behalf of the elected officials and we have a lot of good department heads who did an excellent job at toeing the line fiscally. It helped that the airport isn’t as costly as it has been and we are looking into alternatives for our insurance coverage. We are streching every last dollar.”
The commissioners were able to keep the 2003 budget balanced, partially due to a surplus year in 2001.
The only construction project on tap for the county in 2003 is an expansion of the Blair County Prison. The commissioners budgeted $1 million toward the expansion in the 2002 budget and secured a state grant to cover the remaining costs. The commisioners made no provisions for a new juvenile home, but have long been looking to replace the existing building.
“The prison expansion will take little to no money from the general fund,” said Eichelberger. “We had previously budgeted $1 million and received a $400,000 grant from the state. We hope that it will add space for 40-50 beds. We are looking to possibly reconfigure the current facility so we can add counseling to the program. We might look at a new juvenile facility in the 2004 budget. We are not under any mandate to build a new home for juveniles. We have passed every inspection, but we are getting to a point where we feel the issue will need addressed.”
The budget calls for a three-percent wage increase for elected officials and county employees.
