Some departments and offices in Butler County government are starting to snip away some costs to reduce this year’s county budget by $5 million.

For example, Sheriff Mike Slupe cut $94,000 from his $2.6 million budget. That includes not buying two cruisers for $55,000.

Shari Brewer, county elections bureau director, made cuts to her $672,699 budget totaling $50,000.

She is postponing buying a $30,000 printer/scanner and 200 batteries costing $20,000 used in voting machines.

The county prison, which had a budget of $11.7 million, lowered its projected expenses by $160,000.

County courts expect to trim $100,000 from their $11 million budget by allowing compensatory time off instead of paying overtime.

Joyce Ainsworth, director of county human services, pointed out that only an average of 3 percent of the department’s $36.6 million budget is funded locally. The majority of funds comes from federal and state funding.

But Children and Youth Services is running under budget so far, she said.

County Controller Ben Holland says job cuts are needed to reach the $5 million goal.

“They have to reduce the workforce,” Holland said.

But Lori Altman, human resources director, said under the county’s employee union contracts, jobs can’t be cut if those duties would increase the workload of other posts or if those tasks were outsourced.