Unanticipated high fuel prices over the past year and the continued high costs of fuel and utilities led the Cape Girardeau County Commissioner to ask all county departments to reduce their budgets for 2006 by 3.5 percent.

This is the first time commissioners have asked departments to cut individual budgets, said 1st District Associate Commissioner Larry Bock.

After a public hearing on the budget Thursday morning, Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved a 2006 budget of $11.68 million. The county will have $11,914,389 of general revenue on hand to spend for 2006. It plans to spend $11,684,494 with a balance of $229,894 at the end of the year.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said every department was cooperative in making the requested reductions. He said restoring the items cut will be the commission's top priority if more funding becomes available during the year.

For the road and bridge budget, the estimated revenue from taxes is $1,186,126. The county expects another $1,004,790 to come from fees and from the state portion of the gas tax plus other state taxes. The county has a $410,000 balance, making total funds available $2,600,916. The county plans to spend $2,406,065, leaving a balance of $194,851 at the end of 2006.

With higher costs of fuel, gravel, utilities and maintenance, the road and bridge department's fuel budget is almost $45,000 more than last year's. Last year the fuel budget was set at $115,000, and the county ended the year spending more than $139,000.

Most of the department's budget cuts were in equipment which could be put into next year's budget, said Auditor David Ludwig. "The items weren't immediate needs and won't reduce any needs from the citizens of Cape Girardeau County," Ludwig said.

Assessor Jerry Reynolds cut $90,000 for aerial photography from his budget. The assessor's office uses the photographs to make aerial maps of the county, something that hasn't been done in five years.

"If the commissioners needed us to make cuts, we can wait another year to do it," Reynolds said. "There are certain parts of the county that don't grow, but there are some parts that grow a lot. We need to get the aerial photographs, but it can wait another year."

Also taken out of the preliminary budget was a $25,000 renovation project at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse.

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department made reductions in the amount spent on prisoners' food. The department has a $220,000 prisoner food budget, $25,000 less than in 2005. Ludwig said the population of the jail is lower than in years past, which should cost the county less.

All county employees will receive a 3.5 percent raise based on a merit system for 2006. Ludwig said county employees' salaries are the commissioners' highest priorities.

There are no major capital projects budgeted, but Ludwig said the county plans to upgrade its computer system in 2006.

The budget goes into effect Jan. 1.

jfreeze@semissourian.com