RAPID CITY - Pennington County approved a $66.44 million provisional 2008 budget Tuesday that is slightly higher than this year's budget.

The 2008 provisional Pennington County budget is $66,443,896, up about 1.1 percent over 2007 budget of $65,726,997.

If left unchanged, the budget would grow $716,899 next year, which is a minimal increase compared to last year, when the 2007 budget ballooned by $10.5 million compared to 2006.

"It's a very skimpy budget, and I hate to say that when we're spending $66 million," commission chairman Jim Kjerstad said. "But the department heads and the commission did a great job working together to reduce the original requests."

Commissioners, other elected officials and department heads trimmed about $3 million from initial budget requests during the past several weeks, according to Julie Pearson, county auditor. Most cuts were in nonmandated services.

The largest cut removed $1 million from the long-range jail reserve, a fund established last year to begin setting aside money to finish the new jail. Pearson said the county might bond for that cost in the future, so the board decided to cut long-range reserve out of the budget.

Other large cuts included $495,000 from the road and bridge budget and $474,000 from the commission's contingency fund.

Commissioner Brenda Young said county officials worked very hard to reduce the budget and had to make some tough decisions.

"It was very difficult. One of the biggest things I heard when I was out campaigning was that taxes seemed to keep going up. We really had to take a hard look at things we could cut," she said.

Property owners will pay a slightly higher county tax in 2008. The county consolidated levy - which all county residents pay and consists of accumulated building, county general and county fair - is 4.56, up slightly from this year's 4.54 levy.

County consolidated taxes on a $100,000 home would go up $2.21 next year, a figure Kjerstad called "outstanding."

The proposed budget is supported by about $29.4 million in property taxes, which is an increase of about $1.5 million; $30.9 million in miscellaneous revenue, down about $386,000 from cuts in grants and differences in some contracts; and about $8.5 million from cash reserves, which is $383,257 less than reserves needed in the 2007 budget.

The 2008 budget is not final. More fine-tuning can take place between now and final approval in September. The county scheduled a public hearing about the proposed budget for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

Pennington County mil levy for tax purposes will increase from 4.54 to 4.56

To figure how much your county portion of property taxes will be in 2008, divide your property value by 1,000 and then multiply by 4.56.

$100,000 house - 2007 $454; 2008 $456; Increase, $2

$200,000 house - 2007 $908; 2008 $912; Increase, $4

$300,000 house - 2007 $1,362; 2008 $1,368; Increase, $6

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com