Third adjustment: County trims budget gap

Whitman County’s 2009 budget deficit shrank to $113,920, after county commissioners approved the third budget amendment of the year, Monday morning.

Prior to the amendment, the county was faced with a $310,812 gap between revenue and expenditures this year, but heads of various county departments “found” $196,892 to cut.

“This is the template we will use for 2010,” said Commissioner Greg Partch. “With this, a balanced budget for next year is totally doable.”

The county entered 2009 with an anticipated $29,671 surplus.

That shrank when revenue earned off county investments went in the tank as a...