Lee County tightens budget belt

Posted: 02.17.2009 at 12:43 PM

The Lee County Board of Supervisors makes cut to preliminary budget.

KEOKUK, Iowa - Lee County Iowa is dealing with the tough economy by tightening its belt.

The Board of Supervisors approved a preliminary budget on Tuesday morning.

The county expects to have a shortfall of a little more than two million, six-hundred seventy-seven thousand dollars for fiscal year 2010.

One of the areas that saw some cutting was the county Maintenance Department.

The board cut about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars from that department.

The Conservation Department also gave back about fifty thousand dollars to the county.

The county also lowered what it pays out to insurance by about one hundred thousand dollars.

On the plus side, the county saw an increase in sales and property tax earnings which gave it some financial leeway.

A public hearing on this budget is set for March 10, 2009 in Ft. Madison.

If there is no opposition to the budget at that meeting, the budget could be adopted the same day.