HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners approved cutting more than $1 million from the current budget during their regular agenda session.
“I took the million dollars times that percentage, which range from a department that may have a 0.4% reduction to an 11.3% cut,” County Administrator Randy Partington said. “I met with every director and also communicated with Dave Johnston the EMS Director . . . treasurer, clerk, county administration, human resources, all of us made cuts.”
The cuts approved are in line with projections that see sales tax revenue fall for the foreseeable future because of the slowdown in the economy.
“The cuts were based on just estimates on what those losses were going to be,” Partington said. “We don’t know what those losses in revenue are going to be on when they will take place.”
Partington says that delays in the way sales tax are reported in the state means it will be some time before the real impact on the economic downturn is known.
“It may be June, July or August before we start seeing cuts,” Partington said. “But what this does is this helps ensure that, with these cuts, we’re going to have extra money in the cash balance for the various property tax funds so that next year and future years we have a little bit of a cushion.”
Commissioners requested that continuous updates be made regarding the budget and where the county stands financially as the year continues.