Budgets are tight.

Including that of Union County.

County council began its annual budget process Tuesday afternoon with several departments and agencies making their pitch for funding in fiscal year 2010-11.

Some requests stayed the same.

Others asked for minor increases — such as Union County Veterans Affairs that is seeking about $550 for a wireless Internet card for a laptop computer so department employees can access information needed for veterans claims it currently cannot because of the county’s firewall.

Then there were those who came before council seeking larger expenses for the next fiscal year — capital expenditure proposals those departments see not only as needed but beneficial to the county.

One was Union County Airport and Stadium director Ronnie Wade who is seeking the purchase of a new top dresser for the county’s ballparks. The equipment is used to lay top soil over playing surfaces and the county already does this at least two times a year.

Right now, the county is renting the equipment for an annual cost of $4,000. However, with the inclusion of the Timken Sports Complex — which will cost $21,000 alone for the process — Wade thinks it would be more cost effective for the county to purchase the equipment at a cost of $16,000 instead of continuing to rent. The top dresser could then be used by not only the stadium but the county’s recreation department and the sports complex.

In a related note, Union County Recreation Department director Becky Cobb also approached council in her budget request with the proposal of purchasing three new lawn mowers.

The decks of the county’s three existing Grass Hopper mowers are starting to wear out and sand is beginning to eat away at the metal. The current mowers are six years old and all of them have more than 700 hours of work logged.

Cobb said — like Wade’s request — the purchase of new mowers would benefit all three entities as they would be made available for use around the county, including the work the rec department does for the school district.

Council members received requests with open minds, but with a budget that cannot grow because of a 0 percent millage cap they are looking at a fiscal year that will remain lean.

Supervisor Tommy Sinclair reported Monday current law ties any potential tax millage increase to Consumer Price Index and population changes. Union County, as is the state, is at zero CPI increase and saw a loss of 1 percent in population.

The net effect: The county will not be able to raise millage, Sinclair said.

But Kacie Petrie reminded her fellow council members they can’t simply look at all requests and say “No.”

“We can’t stockpile it,” she said about requests. “What if we get cut worse next year?”

That’s a possibility, according to Sinclair, who said next year’s fiscal budget — for 2011-12 — could be even tighter.

The only question is where the county will get funding for any additional requests in the FY 2011 budget. Funding that will be critical for some agencies like the Union County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff David Taylor made his case to the council on Tuesday and brought three requests for capital expenditures he sees as immediate needs within his department, including a LiveScan fingerprint machine that will allow deputies to identify suspects much faster than having to outsource fingerprint identification as it’s doing now; a new camera system to replace the out-of-date and insufficient system currently in place; and commercial washer and dryer that can be shared between the sheriff’s department and Union County Detention Center and relieve the county from having to replace units every two years.

“We at the sheriff’s office are very aware of these tight economic times in our county,” reads Taylor’s request to council. “As you look through our budget request, you will see that as your sheriff, I will be cooperative and work diligently to save the taxpayers money. However, it is my duty to protect the county from civil litigation and liabilities in the operation of all emergency services for Union County.”

Taylor told council members — even though times are tough — at some point plans need to be made for the future. Not only for his department — which could use additional deputies and has serious building issues needing to be addressed — but for the entire county.

He agreed with the council, however, that this year and possibly even next fiscal year might not be the best time to do that.

Sinclair’s report on Monday stated normal county tax revenue projections for the next fiscal year look to not vary much from the current year. Aid to subdivisions — or the state funding the county receives — also has been cut and could be again, Sinclair said, adding at best he does not look for them to be restored at last year’s levels.

There also are some new expenses the county needs to be aware of for the next fiscal year, including an increase of 9.5 percent at the beginning of 2011 in employee insurance costs and possible utility cost increases. Sinclair said the county also will begin budgeting for operations and maintenance fees at the Advanced Technology Center this year and there are considerations that need to be made for the Timken complex; however, there is an expectation complex expenditures will be offset by concession and gate revenues.

Whatever the case, it is the goal of the county to provide governmental services as effectively and efficiently as possible and the budget is one of the tools in that effort, Sinclair said.

Council members agreed, however, that at some point long-range planning needs to begin even if survival is the more important goal at this moment.

“It’s hard to prepare if you have to survive today,” said council member Randall “Chump” Hanvey.

The council continues its budget preparations today (Wednesday, April 7) at 3:30 p.m. in the law library on the third floor at the Union County Courthouse.