Carroll County Council met all day Thursday for what was hoped to be the final 2009 budget workshop. When the marathon session concluded, the 2009 budget was pared down from the $6,321,162.50 in requests submitted by department heads via county commissioners to less than $5 million.

"Revenues will not reach predictions," council member Ann Brown announced at the beginning of the day.

She explained due to local economic conditions, homeowners who can no longer afford mortgage payments are walking away from property. It is then sold at auction for a fraction of the true value which in turn negatively impacts county coffers. Council members' consensus was, they could rely on receiving no more money flowing into county general in 2009, than did in 2008. For those departments which requested more money for 2009 than 2008, the decision was made to appropriate the 2008 amount and let the department heads decide the specific line item amounts. What will be appropriated will include staff salary raises. Those raises will in effect lower other departmental spending.

Council president Nancy Cripe asked council members to express opinion about bidding out ambulance service. There was no agreement about how to manage the service.

"We've overspent this budget every year I've been on the council," Steve Ashby said. "We can't offer a service we can't pay for."

Ashby noted the council should not have approved adding the Yeoman and Burlington service given department income and expenses as mistakes made.

However Ron Slavens said the county offers other services, such as the sheriffs department, which do not pay for themselves.

"The writing is on the wall," Ashby countered. "We can't do this again."

"I think we have to get this under control," Jerry Hendress added.

"We finished putting the numbers down today," Cripe said after adjournment. "The next thing will be for the department heads to obtain a copy from the auditor when she is finished with her work. Thereafter, if necessary, the Council will meet with those department heads who have questions about appropriations."

"We will approve the 2009 budget Nov. 24," Cripe concluded. "I am pleased that we were able to hold the spending to less than $5 million for 2009. We just don't know what lies ahead for us in Carroll County and we want to be better than we have been in the past."

The budget adoption hearing will be Nov. 24 at 8:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend.