The Butler County commissioners will not reopen the 2016 county budget or change the property tax rate.

“We don’t see at this point any clear direction and way to do that,” Commissioner Leslie Osche said, saying she initially wanted to drop the tax increase.

In December, former commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton approved the $150.7 million budget with a 27.6-mill property tax rate. That includes a 3-mill tax increase. Former Commissioner Jim Eckstein voted against the budget.

New commissioners Osche, Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel were sworn in Jan. 4 and said they would take a new look at the budget.

Osche, board chairman, said at Wednesday’s commissioners’ meeting that the budget does not have any room to change revenues.

“The revenue projection is tight,” Osche said.

The 2016 budget drained the county’s fund balance. Osche said the county should have about $6 million in its fund balance.

Over the past 8 to 10 years, she said, the amount in the balance has gone down each year gradually due to the commissioners using that money to balance the budget.

Osche said the goals will be to restore the fund balance and to discontinue the practice of using the balance to fill holes in the budget.

When she took office two weeks ago, she said she found several policies and procedures that are costly and problematic.

One example she cited was keeping the 10 cars that Children and Youth Services use at the county motor pool at the Sunnyview complex, which is outside the city. Caseworkers had to bring the cars to the government center in downtown Butler at the beginning of the day and take them back at the end of the day — taking 30 minutes total.

With CYS having about 12 parking spaces at its offices, she said it makes sense to keep the cars downtown.

By eliminating the time to retrieve and put the cars back, Osche said that saves the county about $28,000 in time per year.

“That’s half a caseworker,” Osche said, noting that CYS was considering hiring another caseworker.

She also said the commissioners will look at hiring practices, particularly the current process of immediately looking to hire people for open positions rather than considering whether those open positions are necessary.

Osche said the commissioners have met with several department heads and row officers, and have heard many ideas, including some for cutting overtime. Osche said these ideas could help the county save $800,000 in overtime costs.

Since the first of the year, two employees — the planning director and the head of the motor pool — have retired. Geyer noted that they have not been replaced yet.

She said commissioners are using this situation to temporarily reorganize those departments to see how they function.

Geyer said the county needs to drastically reduce spending and the commissioners will do that during the next four years.

“We know what we’re facing,” Geyer said.

Boozel said some changes will not be popular.

“The finances are bleak. There’s no question about it,” Boozel said.

However, he said making drastic, but poorly thought-out cuts could lead the county to spend more money in the long run. He said commissioners are working with row officers and department heads to make sure that any cuts are made wisely.

Boozel said the commissioners have worked to save about $350,000 since starting in office.

In the commissioners’ office, one administrative assistant position has been eliminated, with Osche and Geyer sharing one administrative assistant and Boozel having one. This has saved the county about $77,000.

Boozel said other savings have come from efficiency-related changes.

During public comment, Itzi Meztli of Slippery Rock said the commissioners were following in the footsteps of their predecessors. He said they need to cut spending and push for a hiring freeze. He said the commissioners should cut 60 employees immediately.

Eckstein of Butler Township praised the commissioners for working to cut costs.

He noted that Osche, Geyer and Boozel campaigned on not raising taxes.

“The campaign is over, and it is time to fulfill those promises with honesty and integrity,” Eckstein said.