HUCKSTEP: BUDGET REQUEST MINDBOGGLING

JACKSON - Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep called a 1992 budget request for the juvenile office "mindboggling" Tuesday, and said it would be absurd to even discuss the kind of increase requested.

"You can rest assured we're not even going to consider this budget as it is presented. No way," declared Huckstep.

With a projected loss in interest income for 1992 of about $350,000 and a flat sales tax, Huckstep called on officeholders and department heads to weigh their requests carefully so the county can contain costs.

But a budget presented this week to Auditor H. Weldon Macke from Ruth Waldon, chief juvenile officer for the 32nd Judicial Circuit, asks for an increase in funding from just over $380,000 to $588,834.

"That's really cost containment," Huckstep said sarcastically. "There is absolutely no need to even discuss this budget because we have to contain costs in this county. Up until now, most officeholders have been quite austere with their budgets.

"We have not gotten the sheriff's budget yet, but if he read my lips correctly, he'd better not bring in something like this. This is very distressing."

During the last year, legislation was passed to expand the size of the 32nd Judicial Circuit to add Perry County to what had been a two-county circuit of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties. Costs for the juvenile office are assessed to counties in the circuit on the basis of population.

Huckstep has tentatively set a commission hearing on the juvenile budget for Dec. 19 and he plans to invite Perry County Presiding Commissioner Karl Klaus and Bollinger County Presiding Commissioner Elwood Mouser to participate in the hearing.

"It is only fair to have their input since they have to pay a share," said Huckstep. "I wouldn't even dare consider a budget like this unless the other two counties are there."

Huckstep said the proposed budget would increase the amount paid by Perry County for juvenile costs by 50 percent and would double what Bollinger County pays now.

Huckstep said the budget increase is based on the addition of Perry County to the circuit. But he said one of the selling points presented to him for adding Perry County to the circuit was to save money.

Perry County had been reimbursing St. Francois County about $60,000 for juvenile costs that included one officer for the county, a part-time secretary, some office space, and its share of the detention facility.

The proposed budget calls for increasing the size of the juvenile detention facility on Merriwether Street, something Huckstep is flatly opposed to. Later this year, the administrative offices will be moved from the facility to the Common Pleas Annex, which Huckstep contends will take care of the juvenile office's space needs.

"There is no way we are going to add one foot to that facility," said Huckstep.

Two additional cars are also requested in the budget, a request which has struck a nerve with the presiding commissioner. In a meeting with Waldon last month, Huckstep indicated the commission was considering paying juvenile officers mileage and eliminating all or most of the vehicles.

He explained that most other counties surveyed by Macke, including those much larger than Cape County, do not own vehicles for the juvenile office.

"Cutting back on cars is a definite option and looks like it may be viable," noted Huckstep. "We have not had good luck with vehicles in that office; we just can't seem to justify the costs."

Huckstep said he had discussed the juvenile budget in general terms with Presiding Circuit Judge A.J. Seier and Circuit Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., who is the juvenile judge for the circuit.

"I don't want to say too much right now because it is early in the process. However, the initial figures just blew my mind."