ALEXANDER COUNTY HAS BUDGET PROBLEM

CAIRO, Ill. -- Alexander County has a dilemma.

"We're spending about $10,000 a month more than we're taking in," said Louis Maze, chairman of the county board. "We've got to find some answers for our budget problems."

Maze is hopeful that some answers will come Monday, when the board meets with other county officials to discuss the budget deficit.

"All county officeholders will attend the 9 a.m. meeting," Maze said Friday. "I have a good feeling about things now. We have money problems but everyone's trying to help work them out. We'll be discussing how budgets can be revised for the four months remaining in this fiscal year."

The board made arrangements to settle one of its most immediate problems during the past week, that of paying for its prison housing cost debts to its biggest creditor, Williamson County.

Williamson County has been housing from one to seven prisoners a day for Alexander County, which can house only eight prisoners. The Williamson County Board had voted to stop accepting Alexander County prisoners because Alexander County owed more than $42,000 in fees that hadn't been paid since December.

The Alexander board last week borrowed $20,000 on anticipated tax revenues to make a partial payment to Williamson County.

"Williamson officials agreed to accept the $20,000 payment and defer the remaining $22,000 until next year," said Maze. "They also agreed to continue housing our prisoners, but we have to `pay as we go.'"

In another action during the week, the board came closer to settling some lawsuits over unpaid bills by transferring money from several county funds into the general fund to pay about $28,000 in "most important" bills.

The county's sheriff department, coroner's office and circuit clerk's office had filed civil complaints against the board for non-payment of bills.

"We still have four months on this year's budget," said Maze. "Hopefully we can come up with some revisions and cuts on Monday when we meet with all the office holders."