By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Facing a year full of financial uncertainties, the Butler County commissioners approved a 2003 general fund budget Monday that leaves no money for major road projects and other capital improvements.

"It's the toughest budget I've seen in 16 years," Commissioner Courtney Combs said.

"It's going to be a difficult year."

The 2003 general fund budget of $65.9 million is $6 million below the amount originally requested by county office-holders and department heads.

The commissioners and county Finance Director Tim Williams pressured them over the past few months to reduce their operating budget requests by at least 3 percent from this year.

After some arm-twisting, all office-holders and department heads met that goal.

"We had 100 percent compliance," Mr. Williams said. "Everybody rose above the problem issues and worked together."

The 2003 budget is $1.3 million above this year's budget because of the $2.5 million debt service for the new county jail and the $600,000 cost for the new Common Pleas Court and Juvenile Court judges and their staffs.

"Minus those new nondiscretionary expenses, there's a 3 percent drop in the 2003 budget," Mr. Williams said.

Like other Ohio counties, Butler has been hurt by state and federal funding cutbacks and the sluggish national economy.

But Butler is better off than most Ohio counties because of its economic development, Mr. Combs said.

Butler's 2002 sales tax revenue was about $500,000 more than the 2001 total.

Under the austere 2003 budget, virtually no county departments will be able to replace employees who retire or resign.

Also, there will be no general fund money for such capital improvement projects as the Ohio 63 extension and the widening of the Ohio 4 Bypass.

Standing still

"We do not have the resources to move the county forward on infrastructure investments that will pay off in economic development and jobs," Commissioner Mike Fox said.

Mr. Williams will monitor each county department closely throughout next year to make sure they stay within their operating budgets.

Mr. Combs said he wants bi-monthly reports on the status of each department's budget.

The 2003 budget assumes a $1 million increase in property taxes because of this year's reappraisal, a $2.8 million contract for boarding prisoners with Montgomery County, a sales tax revenue increase, strong county fee revenue and no unexpected state funding cutbacks.

Any further reduction in state aid to local governments would be a serious blow to Butler County, Mr. Combs said.

"We're letting our state legislators know the position we're in," he said.

"The state can't cut us any further."