If salary spending continues at its current pace, the county government could be in the hole to the tune of $830,000 by year’s end.

That was what officeholders learned at a meeting about finances with the county commissioners on Tuesday where they were given a spreadsheet listing how much deficit their salary line items could accrue by the end of the year.

This is based on current spending for a five-pay period from January to March 2. The county has 21 more pay periods in 2012.

“The commissioners decided to show how much everyone is overspending,” Chris Kline, deputy auditor, said. “This happens every year. This is nothing new. It is better than it was in past years. I’ve seen this where it has been a million dollars short.”

At the end of December 2011, the commissioners approved a 2012 budget of $13,181,135. That included estimated revenue of $12,991,135 that comes from local property taxes, sales taxes and state Local Government Fund. That budget mandated a 10 percent cut for all officeholders’ budgets. It also reflected a significant decrease of approximately $300,000 in the LGF.

That revenue was combined with a 2011 carryover of $1,190,000 to come up with $14,181,135 total funds available for the county. However, the commissioners, who set the officeholders’ budget, held back $1 million to have a carryover into 2013.

Then a few weeks later the 2011 carryover was increased to $1.3 million, giving them a little stronger starting point.

“I think we would be amiss if we didn’t tell the officeholders where they stood early in the year and let them make any changes,” Commission President Les Boggs said after the meeting. “The auditor sends us this spreadsheet every month or two. We don’t want to get down to where we have absolutely nothing. We have been going in the right direction for the last three years. We don’t want to turn around in the opposition direction.”

All officeholders have a projected deficit in their salary line items. Among those are budgets for the county recorder with a salary budget of $103,400 and a projected shortfall of $40,188; county treasurer with a salary budget of $59,200 and a $34,670 shortfall and the sheriff’s office with a salary budget of $1,633,000 and projected deficit of almost $250,000. These figures are only for the salaries of office staff and do not include the salaries of the elected officials.

Lawrence County Recorder Sharon Gossett Hager had originally asked for $130,000 for staff salaries but has now eliminated a part-time position in her office that a college student provided.

“It was just a fact that they did not give me what I had asked for,” Hager said. “They never do. I have always been able to make do with other funds, by transferring funds. It shouldn’t be a problem (coming in at budget). I will be in better shape because I will no longer have the part-time student.”

Treasurer Stephen Burcham said his office is over-budget right now because he has additional workers during tax season from the first of the year to March for first half collections and during the summer for the second half.

“I bring in some additional part-time help,” Burcham said. “It won’t be there August through December. They are projecting if I would have the same payroll throughout the year. In my case that actually decreases at the end of July.”

However at least one officeholder reports that cuts are not an option if the county wants to keep the same level of services.

“We are at the point where they are going to have to fund me or make some serious decisions,” Sheriff Jeff Lawless said. “Tell me where I am to cut. I am eight employees down than I was seven or eight years ago. Any cuts will mean shutting down the jail or taking officers off the road. I am living within my budget. Gasoline is killing us. We are averaging 200 to 300 miles a shift.”

Besides wages among Lawless’ personnel expenses are overtime that comes when shift employees are off sick or on long-term disability and expenses when long-term employees retire since they can accrue a portion of their unused sick and vacation pay.

“Retirement costs a pretty good chunk of change out of the budget,” the sheriff said. “If you have someone with 25 to 30 years of service, they accumulate sick pay and vacation. When you leave, it can be thousands of dollars.

“They don’t provide me with enough of a budget at the start of the year to make it through the year. Our guys do a hellava job with what they have to use. Cars that are junk, little equipment, to provide the best police service.”

Boggs did not dispute that some of the designated carryover for 2013 could be used to bolster budgets. However he would like that carryover to be more than $1 million for next year.

“It is a tough financial year but (the $1 million carryover) is my goal,” he said.

As far as the county’s law enforcement budget, Boggs said the sheriff has not spoken directly to him about it.

“If he does, we will talk about it as a group,” Boggs said. “I am not saying we won’t use any of (the designated carryover). 2012 and 2013 will be tough financial years. But we have to be fiscally responsible early on. If you wait until the end of the year, it doesn’t give the officeholders time to make changes.”