Butler County officials are scrutinizing the 2016 budget with a goal of cutting $5 million.

County Commissioner Leslie Osche, board chairman, said the idea is to implement changes over multiple phases.

In addition to a staffing review, the county is pruning items from the roughly $150 million budget, which included a 3-mill property tax hike.

Osche attributed the need to cut costs along with a tax increase to problems with this year’s budget.

“The numbers were not accurate,” she said.

The three commissioners, who took office in January, have been critical of the financial state of the county left by the previous commissioners and administration.

County Controller Ben Holland agreed the budget numbers are causing a dilemma.

“It’s a bogus budget,” he said.

County row offices and departments are working with the commissioners to prune expenses.

Sheriff Mike Slupe cut another $94,000 this year from his $2.6 million budget after cutting $37,500 in 2015 from his original proposal.

“We’re definitely tightening our belt,” he said.

Among Slupe’s $70,000 reduction in capital purchases, which originally totaled $75,000, is $55,000 for two cruisers. He said his office will continue using the ones that were due for replacement.

Slupe said those vehicles will stay close to Butler because deputies are transporting prisoners.

“We don’t want the chance of a breakdown with an inmate,” he said.

Of the sheriff’s 14 vehicles, 10 are cruisers for general use.

Slupe expressed appreciation to the commissioners for involving row officers and department heads in the process to revise the budget.

“I’m very grateful they included us in problem-solving,” he said.

Although the commissioners only supervise internal departments, they do approve row office budgets.

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

Brewer 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.

“We were able to take a little off,” said Warden Joe DeMore.

He said money was taken from numerous areas.

“I took a little closer look at line items,” DeMore said.

County court also is making cuts to help the bottom line.

Tom Holman, deputy court administrator, echoed President Judge Thomas Doerr’s comments at Thursday’s commissioners meeting.

“This was the court’s intention to work with the commissioners to reduce any expenses it can while not jeopardizing public safety,” Holman said.

He said more than $100,000 would be lopped from the court’s $11 million budget. Overtime as well as spending on materials and supplies are being reduced.

Holman said overtime costs can be reduced because more compensatory time would be used.

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.

“We don’t have a whole lot,” Ainsworth said of local money.

And any possible changes may not take effect immediately.

She cited the difference in state funding, which operates on a fiscal year, from county, which is done under a calendar year.

“It’s too late for the first half of the year,” Ainsworth said of making budget changes.

She also explained that Children and Youth Services has 23 pieces of new legislation to follow.

But despite those changes, CYS has spent less than budgeted so far this year.

“They’re under budget,” Ainsworth said.

But she explained CYS’ workload is fluid.

“You can get one family with six kids,” Ainsworth said, which would alter the costs involved with that case.

Steve Bicehouse, county emergency services director, said his budget is made up of essentials.

“My budget’s pretty tight anyway,” he said.

However, Bicehouse said that doesn’t stop his department from cutting costs.

“We’re always looking at ways to save money,” he said.

Of the total $4.2 million budget for emergency services, the county funds $1.7 million.

Holland conceded some departments and row offices, such as his and the county treasurer, don’t have much room to make cuts.

He said the tax hike balances the 2016 budget while another $5 million in cuts would replenish a depleted fund balance and operating reserve.

“They’re struggling because the budget is in bad shape,” Holland said.

He advocates cutting jobs to reach that goal.

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

Human resources director Lori Altman 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.

Osche said Thursday the county is researching an early retirement incentive and reviewing positions when they become vacant.

Holland supports both such initiatives. He suggested moving workers from one department to another when there is an increased workload.

Holland also supports using automation for efficiency’s sake, which would eliminate jobs and establish tighter controls.

He recommends starting with an automated payroll system.

“We are so far behind technologically in this county,” Holland said.

He also wants time clocks to better monitor hours worked.

“Right now, it’s pen and paper,” Holland said about employee time sheets.

He stressed every reduction needs to be reflected in the budget as an adjustment to stave off further financial woes.

“It’s like walking on ice,” Holland said about the lack of money in the county coffers. “And it’s getting thinner.”

He and Osche agreed the days of just increasing the same budget each year should end. According to Holland, the budget should be revised starting from zero.

He compared the budget to a car.

“If you don’t align it every so often, it’s going to be out of whack,” Holland said.