Did officeholders hear the alarm and did they heed it?

Lawrence County Commissioners Thursday asked the Lawrence County Auditor's Office for an update on budget figures, to determine if officeholders heeded the

earlier warnings about which offices would run out of money before the end of the fiscal year.

In March, the auditor's office released a list of offices that will run out of money before the end of the year, unless officeholders cut their budgets now. Eighteen offices were

on that list. Some were slated to run out of money as early as September.

"We've seen no adjustments made, or not enough made," Commissioner George Patterson said. "Some offices are going to get into trouble. We've asked everyone to be responsible. They were elected to do so. There is no method for us to generate additional dollars."

Commissioners also agreed to send a letter to Ironton officials, asking for detailed information about how the city's Combined Sewer Overflow plan would affect county property. The county owns a dozen or so parcels of city land.

The plan is aimed at minimizing untreated discharges from city sewers into the Ohio River. It is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency and is expected to cost the city as much as $20 million over the next 20 years - costs that will be passed along to property owners.

"I'd say we probably have as much property in the city as anyone," Commissioner Jason Stephens said. "I am kind of concerned. I don't want to overreact but we need to know what the ( financial) impact will be."