HAMILTON — Butler County's preliminary budget for 2002 will have to be trimmed by $3.6 million.

        That was the conclusion of county commissioners Thursday after they reviewed the preliminary general fund budget, which was compiled from budget requests from county department heads.

        The proposed $68.3 million budget would be an 8.1 percent increase over this year's budget. The commissioners want the budget to rise by no more than 2 percent.

        “The numbers will have to come down,” Commissioner Mike Fox said. “We need (the department heads) to make substantial cuts in their requests.”

        More money will go to law-and-order departments — including the justice center, a new jail, a new coroner's facility, and additional money to prosecute indecency cases.

        The county's capital budget will lose $1 million this year, and community service projects will drop from $600,000 to nothing.

        The final budget for 2002 won't be submitted to commissioners until December.

        Despite the national economic slowdown, Butler's revenues have been stable, said Tim Williams, county finance director.

        The 2002 budget will be tight, he said, because of an increase of 20 to 30 percent in health care costs, operating costs of the county jail opening next year and the rising costs of the justice system.

        The new jail will add $1.2 million to $1.6 million in operating costs next year, Mr. Williams said. This year, the justice system's share of the general fund budget was 59.8 percent, while next year it's projected to be 63 percent, he said.

        The heftiest department increases are:

        • Coroner's office, 41 percent.

        • Prosecutor's office, 19 percent.

        • Sheriff's office, 18 percent.

        The main reason for the big jump in the coroner's budget is the move of the county morgue from Mercy Hospital Hamilton, which closed this spring, Mr. Williams said. The county will have to lease new space and buy equipment.

        The operating costs of the new jail account for the big budget increase in the sheriff's department, Mr. Williams said.

        The prosecutor's budget increase stems from $200,000 to operate a new obscenity task force and from converting some part-time assistant prosecutors to full time, he said.

        The commissioners also are expected to raise the county sales tax by as much as 0.5 of a percentage point this year, to generate $16 million a year.

        None of that money will go into the general fund, Mr. Fox said. It would be used for 22 other targeted projects.

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