Blaine County commissioners voted 2-1 to approve the county's $25.8 million budget Tuesday morning, a move prefaced by debate over the disputed new human resources position the budget includes.
Commissioner Tom Bowman was the lone vote against the fiscal 2011 budget, saying the new position was contrary to the county's priority for fiscal responsibility.
"We'd be closer to not deficit spending without this new position," Bowman said, asking the board to defer adding the position for one year.
The county is currently looking at a $98,000 deficit in tax-supported funds, according to County Clerk JoLynn Drage.
But Commission Chair Larry Schoen called this level of deficit spending "tolerable," and said that other priorities can take precedence over a balanced budget.
"I had to fight with Commissioner Bowman to hire a county administrator, and he used the same arguments then that he's using now," Schoen said. "We are challenged to meet all the demands we have."
But Bowman responded that responsibility with taxpayer funds is a main county priority.
"This is money people have to pay out of their paychecks twice a year," Bowman said. "We're expected to show discipline."
Still, Bowman said he knew he was fighting a losing battle.
"I'm not going to change anyone's mind here, so I'd just as soon get this thing passed," he said.
Commissioner Angenie McCleary said the budget process is about taking diverse interests into account.
"It's difficult to balance these priorities and these expenses," she said.
One example she cited was the decision the board made earlier this year not to take an allowed 3 percent property tax increase. The board said it would not take the increase if the $1.99 million levy to fund the Blaine Manor skilled-nursing facility passed, a decision it stuck by when the levy was approved on Aug. 3.
The decision not to take the increase was also a factor in the county's deficit, McCleary said, but it was balanced by the importance of keeping faith with county taxpayers. She said a new position now could help reduce future spending while helping to fulfill some of the county's other priorities and enabling more efficient work on the replacement airport project.
"It's difficult to balance these priorities and these expenses, but I believe we've done that," she said.
Schoen and McCleary also pointed out that while the county is adding this position in human resources, four positions have been eliminated from next year's budget. Two positions in the now-defunct Department of Water Quality as well as one vacancy each in Land Use and Building Services and the county assessor's office will not be filled for the next fiscal year. The final budget also includes a new information technology position, which was funded out of the 911 Emergency Communication budget. The cost of the new position was offset by the cancellation of a lease on unused equipment, making the position budget-neutral.
Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com
Ambulance District budget passes
The Blaine County Ambulance District Budget was approved unanimously Tuesday morning when Blaine County commissioners convened as the district's board of directors to approve the balanced $2.1 million budget.
In keeping with the county's policy not to raise property taxes for 2011, the commissioners voted not to increase the district's taxes by the allowed 3 percent. This decision required cutting part of the ambulance district's capital budget.
Should the district require more capital improvements than are contained in the budget, the district will need to fund such projects out of its operational reserve budget, which currently totals $420,000.
