Cape County commissioners approve 2010 budget on 2-1 vote

Editor's note: The story has been corrected to reflect that Jay Purcell believes his suggested changes could save the county $500,000 and David Ludwig said the county has $5 million in the reserve fund but does not intend to spend the amount.

Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved the final budget for 2010 on Thursday night but not without opposition from one commissioner.

County Auditor David Ludwig said this year's budget of $11,381,878.86 reflects a conservative approach regarding expenditures. The budget is less than the 2009 budget of $11,469,415. County revenue is expected to be around $10.25 million.

Ludwig said that $5 million in an emergency fund.

"It's a great budget for the new year," Ludwig said.

District 2 Commissioner Jay Purcell, who voted against the budget, said it was wrong to approve a budget in which revenue is projected to bring in less than the amount budgeted for expenditures.

"It flies in the face of why we do a budget," Purcell said.

Purcell said county government should be smaller and that that can be accomplished through retirements or job consolidations. Purcell said such changes could reduce expenses by at least $500,000, with the savings either given to citizens through rebates or used for other projects.

However, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said he and other elected officials and employees spent many hours trying to make a fiscally sound budget.

"So it's not something that's taken lightly or frivolously," Jones said.

Thursday's meeting is the first of three monthly nighttime meetings for the commission this year. The other nighttime meetings are scheduled for Feb. 4 and March 4.

The commission also held nighttime meetings Dec. 7, 10, 14 and 17.

In other action, the commission approved highway administrator Scott Bechtold's recommendation for the purchase of tires and culvert pipes. Metal Culverts Inc. of Jefferson City, Mo., won the bid for culvert pipes, and Best One Tire of Jackson was awarded the bid for tires.

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