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Sheriff, BOE defend budgets

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer 8:29 PM Monday, November 23, 2009

HAMILTON — The cost of holding a major election has increased more than a third since 2006. And the sheriff’s office is stretched as thin as it can go.

Those comments made in budget hearings with Butler County commissioners Monday, Nov. 23, left the county no closer to filling a gaping hole in its projected 2010 budget.

With little more than a month remaining in the year, commissioners are tasked with pulling together a budget that addresses a recession-wrought revenue shortfall projected at $6.6 million.

Some offices — including domestic relations court and the treasurer’s office — gave presentations Monday that included cuts to their offices hovering around 10 percent.

But board of elections Director Betty McGary defended a requested $847,976 increase in her budget next year, bringing the total to nearly $3.7 million.

Unlike this year’s one, off-year election, she said next year’s primary and general elections will likely bring out the voters with a hotly contested race for governor.

And law changes requiring early voting and electronic voting have piled on unfunded mandates that have made county-wide elections considerably more expensive, she and elections board members said.

Specifically, it has required the county to hold smaller, longer training sessions for poll workers and practically run a “dual system” with paper ballots they are still required to make available.

“Quite frankly, it (electronic voting) has broken the backs of counties, not only in Ohio, but also across the nation,” McGary said.

The agency spent roughly $2.7 million holding elections in 2006.

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones told commissioners why he basically refused to cut more than $2.2 million they requested from his roughly $23.5 million budget.

Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer argued that the county’s jail makes the county money, so cutting there would be a step in the wrong direction. And he said further cuts after roughly $900,000 was slashed from the department this year would “dramatically impact” public safety.

Combined, the cuts and increases leave the county roughly $5.3 million from its goal.

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