COMMISSIONERS IN THREE COUNTIES DISCUSS '92 JUVENILE BUDGET

JACKSON - Perry County Presiding Commissioner Karl Klaus told Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep Monday that he would like to see the 1992 juvenile budget pared down even more.

Huckstep met privately with Klaus to discuss the proposed juvenile budget for the 32nd Judicial Circuit, and later reviewed it with Bollinger County Presiding Commissioner Elwood Mouser.

Mouser indicated his county would pay its share once a final budget was agreed upon.

The three counties will share the costs of operating the circuit's juvenile office, based on population. That means Perry County would pay 19 percent, Bollinger County 12 percent, and Cape County the remainder.

Huckstep, who has been critical of the proposed budget for the juvenile office, contending it is too high for economic conditions facing the county, said Klaus indicated he would not recommend to his commission that it accept the proposed budget.

Huckstep said he will arrange a meeting with Circuit Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., the juvenile judge, to discuss the budget and concerns other commissioners have with it.

Ultimately, Limbaugh has the authority to order the budget be implemented, leaving the counties an option of appealing to the state's Judicial Finance Commission.

"We hope to meet with the judge Friday or Monday to get this budget either put to bed or to refuse it and let the process begin," said Huckstep. "Judge Limbaugh has indicated that he wants to try and work it out."

Initially, the juvenile office asked for a budget of about $630,000, which is up from the $388,000 budgeted for 1991. That figure was worked down to about $480,000 after meetings between Limbaugh and Huckstep.

With state reimbursements figured in, the total amount of the juvenile budget for 1992 that would be divided between the three counties is about $440,000. Cape County's portion of that budget would be about $304,000; Perry County, $79,000; and Bollinger County, about $48,000.

The addition of Perry County to the circuit is responsible for part of the increase over last year.

Huckstep said that Klaus was concerned because the amount Perry County is paying will increase by about $20,000 over the amount it paid in 1991 while it was part of another judicial circuit with the juvenile office situated in St. Francois County.

Klaus said he had hoped that moving to the 32nd circuit would save his county money rather than bring an increase of nearly 40 percent.

"Karl Klaus is comparing what St. Francois County charged with the population they served in comparison to us," said Huckstep. He indicated the district up there has much less staff with more population," said Huckstep.

"I think it is fair to say that we just can't agree on our staffing patterns."

On the other hand, Huckstep said Klaus is aware of state and federal mandates that must be considered.

Huckstep said he was optimistic any differences could be resolved in a meeting with Limbaugh.

A key focus of that discussion likely will be on personnel and whether there is overstaffing of the detention center on Merriwether Street. Huckstep suggested it would be a matter of sharing concerns and information to answer the questions raised by Klaus.

Huckstep said both Klaus and Mouser "fully realize at some point they will have to pay once we come to an agreement." Huckstep said both have agreed to pay their share of juvenile costs on a monthly basis, which will be billed by Cape County.

Huckstep said he hopes the Cape County Commission can approve its 1992 budget no later than Monday. Besides the juvenile budget, some final details on the sheriff's department budget are being worked out, he said.

The county road and bridge budget, which is funded through a separate property tax levy, is being finalized by Auditor H. Weldon Macke and Associate Commissioner Leonard Sander, who oversees the county's highway department for the commission.

Huckstep said if all those budgets are finalized by Monday, then the commission can schedule a public hearing that must be held before final approval of the budget document can be given.