Thursday's Internet Edition, August 28, 2008.

David Boothe, Rodney Cox and John Greathouse approved the county budget for 2008-09 during a special session Tuesday night at the courthouse.

The $2.562 million budget received a boost from $40,800 in revenues provided from a synthetic fuel tax. The state auditor’s office instructed commissioners to budget the revenue, which had been included in four consecutive budgets until it was omitted in the current budget.

The balanced budget approved Tuesday includes reduced insurance costs for employees. The county will now pay an 80 percent share of premiums as compared to 70 percent as is done currently. It will cost an additional $21,000 a year to fund the benefit.

An increase in assessed property valuations has also caused a hike in salaries for all but one elected official that will total $11,698 in the new budget. The state mandated the increase because property values have topped the $400 million mark this year, bumping the county from Class 8 to Class 7.

When the new budget takes effect July 1, commissioners will receive the biggest raise of $2,640 to an annual salary of $27,720. Others include county clerk and circuit clerk, which will both increase $660 to $48,180 a year; and sheriff and assessor, both up $330 to $42,570. The salary for prosecuting attorney will remain at $87,800.

The new budget also contains money to pay for an additional deputy in the prosecutor’s office.

Before the budget was approved, Greathouse, the commission president, suggested trimming some budget lines in order to find money to fix a leaky courthouse annex roof. He mentioned reducing requests for the circuit clerk and WVU Extension budgets by $500 each as a start.

“I think that’s just a drop in the bucket,” Cox said, noting that carryover funds from the current budget could be used for capital improvements as has been done in the past.

“I agree with Rodney. I think it’s already done,” Boothe said of the budget. “We can find enough money to do that roof.”