The cuts voted on this week by commissioners, if no further changes are made, would reduce the total general fund budget to $19.1 million, down fron nearly $19.37 million as originally proposed, Shuler said Thursday. No increase in the tax millage rate is anticipated, but the millage rate will not be set until after the county receives the final tax digest.

Included in the capital spending requests eliminated this week were: $105,000 for a tractor boom mower and $59,700 for an asphalt roller, both of which were in the Roads and Bridges Department budget as originally recommended, $30,000 for the sheriff’s office criminal investigations for a vehicle and renovations, and $15,000 for a used truck for youth investigations.

“Given a lot of the work our Roads and Bridges is going to be doing catching up on the repairs on dirt roads, they don’t anticipate doing as much asphalt work,” Shuler said. “If we have a need our equipment won’t meet, we have other options.”

Shuler said that does not think the county is not short-changing departments on equipment requests when the financial situation is taken into account.

“I think we’re doing what we need to do to balance our budget,” he said. “I think we do need to recognize going forward how we will account for those needs in future budgets.”

The commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.