County limits spending
By SUZANNE WERRE
BHG News Service
McLean County is tightening its belt the last month of the year, approving very few new expenditures that haven’t already been approved with the current year’s budget.
"We are short dollars in every department," said McLean County Auditor Les Korgel, in response to county commissioner Doug Krebsbach’s question about if the county could just pay out some of the deputies’ comp time rather than give them time off.
The county spent $4.9 million in November, primarily on major road projects for which the county will be reimbursed $3.2 million in surge funds, explained county commissioner Barry Suydam.
The county collected $652,000 for November, which is a pretty lean month as far as revenue goes, said Korgel.
"I think we’ll be OK this year," he said.
Although, he added, he may be checking with area banks about taking out a loan if needed, particularly in the first quarter of 2016 when the county will not have received its funding from the state.
Korgel also said he is looking at proposing a 10 percent budget cut for all departments within the county for 2016.
