By Sara StrongRock County is closer to balancing its budget after Rock County Family Services and Highway Department each trimmed $150,000 from their budgets.As the two largest county budgets, these departments were important first places to cut for the Board of Commissioners. Considering these recommended cuts, the county has $200,000 more to go in order to balance the 2004 budget."Personnel-wise, we’re to the limit, in my opinion," County Engineer Mark Sehr told the Rock County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.He factored in an early retirement among other savings to come up with the $150,000 reduction.In order to cover long hours in the winter and prevent overtime, Sehr would like to hire intermittent help for road plowing."We’ll do what we have to do, that’s for sure," Sehr said.Sehr estimates the county will bring in an additional $15,000 from the county gravel tax. He is also postponing a rotary snow plow truck purchase and has the county on a waiting list for a used model. State money was cut by about 10 percent to counties for road and bridge maintenance, so projects will be prioritized and some delayed. The total Highway Department budget is proposed to be $1,670,600. Of that the county levy is $596,600.Family ServicesRock County Family Services plans to cut expenses and increase revenues where it can to come up with $150,000 in cuts from its overall $2.14 million budget. Of the total budget, the county levies $867,104 for Family Services.The Retired Senior Volunteer Program will continue to be funded as Family Services Director Randy Ehlers found other cuts and revenues to help his budget.Out of home placements are what Ehlers calls the "driving factor" behind his budget. In the past few years the out of home placements have cost the county anywhere from $306,617 to $519,281.Out of home placements are expensive because the county is paying for room and board, and sometimes treatment, of children removed from the home. They could be placed in foster homes, residential facilities or jails, depending on the individual case.The collection officer at Family Services may be able to help the county recapture money spent on prisoners while they were jailed. Some counties have started similar programs and Rock County will be considering it.Other increased revenue will come to Family Services through fees for Family Child Care licenses, which are proposed to be $150 for new or renewed. The county will probably also charge a $100 fee for the criminal background check necessary for the license process. The Board, with the exception of Commissioner Richard Bakken, supported the concept of the fee.
