Butler County property owners are staring a steep tax hike — three mills — in the face. The measure may be necessary amid slowing growth, dropping revenue and a yawning budget deficit.

It’s cause for deep concern, and a signal that it’s time to emphasize input from the county’s fiscal experts when it comes to managing spending and revenue.

The county’s commissioners — Bill McCarrier, Dale Pinkerton and Jim Eckstein — presented the proposed budget last week. It’s $61.7 million in general fund expenses will be funded with only $53.9 million in estimated revenue.

The entire budget amounts to $150.7 million. The county’s current tax rate is 24.63 mills.

How you describe the tax proposal depends on what statement you want to make about the measure. The proposal:

• Would cost the “average homeowner” an extra $65 per year.

• Represents a 12 percent tax increase.

• Is the first county tax increase since 2013.

• Is necessary to close a $4.4 million — 7 percent — general fund budget gap.

Bottom line: The proposal deserves a thorough second look from the county’s commissioners-elect once they take office on Jan. 4.

All three incoming commissioners — Kevin Boozel, Leslie Osche and Kim Geyer — have pledged to do just that.

But their comments now make it clear just how concerned they are — and just how concerned taxpayers should be as well — regarding the proposed spending plan, along with the spending during 2015 that led to what must be described as a cash shortage.

Osche has referred to the county’s budget presentation as “spin” when it comes to the use of $3.3 million from the county’s reserve fund to help plug the budget gap.

Geyer has said she has “a lot of concern” regarding some of the calculations used in the budget.

Boozel has called the spending plan and its method of plugging the gap disappointing.

“We have to reassess everything,” he said.”

Meanwhile, county Controller Ben Holland, who warned in June that the county was running upon tough times, is still at loggerheads with commissioners over the cause of the fiscal pinching.

Whether anything can or should be done regarding the 2016-17 spending plan remains unclear. It will be up to our commissioners-elect to make that call.

And it will be a tough one. The fiscal state-of-affairs — no state budget; wild swings in revenue from drilling royalties — is the antithesis of “crystal clear.”

Which is why more input from and a better working relationship between the commissioners and the controller, among others we elect and employ, is a fundamental necessity.