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Show Jl ' , State ?ross Commission begins work on 1982 Budget By RANDY DANIELS Record Reporter PAROWAN Trying to make ends meet, the Iron County Commission began Monday to trim departmental budget requests in order to set a tentative ten-tative 1982 budget for Iron County. According to County Auditor Dennis Lowder the Commissioners have to cut a total of $373,775 from the requests to balance the budget. The estimated 1982 revenue for Iron County is $2,443,290; however, the requested total from County departments is 2,817,065. The difference a accounts for the figure that needs to be slashed from the budget. To come up with the budget, department heads give their 1982 budget requests to the County auditor. The auditor then looks over the the request to make initial cuts. After the auditor reviews and cuts the requests where he feels necessary, the budget is presented to the County Commissioners who make the final cuts. After reviewing half of the purposed 1982 budget, the Commission has trimmed a total of $122,763. "At this point the budget is still up in the air and there is a lot more to be cut," stated Lowder. So far the largest cut has been in the request from the Sheriff's Department. A total of $55,853 was slashed from the request of $417,415. Additional equipment equip-ment and wage increases budgeted for were some of the items trimmed. According Ac-cording to Commissioner James L. Clark, "law enforcement accounts for over 28 percent of total budget items." In addition to the sheriff cuts, one of the largest cuts the auditor suggested to the Commission was in the County Road Department. A total of $50,214 was trimmed off the request. Most of the trim occured in a salary increase request. According to Lowder, a 15 percent increase was requested, and that amount is above what the the County can pay. However, this budget item hasn't yet been reviewed by the Commission. Another large cut occured in the attorney's requested budget of $85,873. The Commission decided to do away with the attorney's deputy fund, and slashed $19,517 from the requested budget. The County Jail request was also slashed. The Commission cut $13,960 from the budget mostly in the wage increase and from the grocery expenditure ex-penditure areas. The Commission was planning on a salary increase of about 122 percent, but if the budget doesn't come into balance the salaries might not be raised that much, according to Commissioner Howard Knight. Lowder commented that if the County held to just a step increase and not pick up a cost of living raise, they could pick up an additional $100,000, closing the budget gap. Dee Cowan, Commission chairman, stated that the salaries are still a big question. The Commission will meet again Monday at 9 a.m. to review the rest of the requested budget and to nominate someone to the Planning Commission. In other business, Earl Hansen discussed with the Commission the constitutionality of the Cedar City downtown redevelopment project. Hansen requested the County Commission Com-mission conduct some information meetings questioning the project. The Commission decided to meet with the Cedar City Council concerning the redevelopment matter. Also, Gloria Taylor from the Valley View Medical Center presented before the Commission the Center's indigent patient bills, totaling $13,379.53. The Commission authorized payment for the bills up to the total balance that was budgeted for in the 1981 budget, which was a total of $5,800. So far this year the Commission has spent $5,100, , not leaving very much for the proposed payment. Taylor commented, "the Center already pays between $175,000 and $200,000 a year for bad debts. It would help if the Commission would appropriate ap-propriate more for their items in next year's budget." In other business The approval of the Cedar Highlands Subdvision was handed down by the Commission; however, the actual recording will not take place until the subdivision's roads are staked out to insure correct plat layout. A protest was presented before the Commission by Ernest Casedas who claimed he had been charged to much for his taxes on his home in Beryl Junction. After consideration of the matter the Commission agreed to 1 adjust the charge. I The Commission granted Nancy g Dalton permission to have public rehearsals for her dance classes in the j courthouse, providing she meet a few , security restrictions the Commission 1 asked her to agree too. Clarence Benson, Jr., raised a question as to whether or not the County was going to install a curb and gutter in front of the rest home in Parowan. The Commission decided the problem was a Parowan City problem and that Commissioner Knight would meet with the Parowan City Council to further disscuss the problem. A delegation representing the Bureau of Land Management informed the Commission that 5,000 acres in the County were proposed for a wilderness study and that a northwestern part of the County was being studied because various uses of the land had created some objections by some residents. |