HAMILTON — Faced with the need to trim $2 million from the preliminary 2003 general fund budget, Butler County officials are going to use the Internet to solicit cost-cutting suggestions from the public and county employees.

        By Monday or Tuesday, the county commissioners will have their Web page set up to accept money-saving recommendations

        After entering www.butlercountyohio.org, people can go to the commissioners' page and click on “cost-saving suggestions.” An e-mail form will pop up on the screen. The e-mails will go directly to County Administrator Derek Conklin.

        “I hope we get some suggestions we can use,” Mr. Conklin said.

        Serious cutbacks in state and federal funds, rising health care costs and the cost of the new county jail have placed enormous pressure on county finances.

        Two of the three commissioners had hoped to ease the situation by passing a 10-year sales tax increase that would have generated $129 million. But a referendum effort by those against the increase forced the commissioners to rescind the increase they had approved by a 2-1 vote last December. They decided this week not to place an increase on the November ballot.

        The 2003 preliminary budget is $68.5 million, $2 million more than the commissioners desire. The commissioners want to hold next year's budget to a 3 percent increase over this year's. The preliminary budget is 7.5 percent higher than this year's.

        Besides using the Internet for cost-cutting suggestions, the county will have forms at county department offices that employees and the public can fill out.

        “We'll take every one of them seriously,” Commissioner Courtney Combs said.

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