Blaine County faces another budget shortfall for 2017-18

By Steve Edwards

Last week the Blaine County Commissioners approved the 2017-2018 budget to operate the county. Again, the annual budget cycle for Blaine County had a familiar ring to it. Declining non-tax revenues, minimal growth in the value of taxable property, uncertainty about key annual payments from the federal government and county commissioners’ goal to keep an ‘emergency reserve’ have required more belt tightening by county departments. The result is a 2017-18 budget that is at the same overall level as last year and will again require supplemental funds from what normally would go t...