11/20/18 – 2:30 P.M.

The Hancock County Commissioners have heard budget proposals from every county department for 2019. Now the work begins to cobble together a workable budget for the county…

Audio: Brian Robertson

Commissioner Brian Robertson says they are still seeing high requests from the sheriff’s office and courts to deal with the impact of the opioid epidemic.

The commissioners sat down for a work session today…

Audio: Brian Robertson

Robertson says even the cost of more efficient operation adds up over time. For instance, he says the county is paying more in probation department costs because it’s less expensive to monitor people awaiting a court date than to have them in jail. However, those costs continue to increase as well.

The commissioners will spend the next week working to put together a first draft of the budget.

An estimate of revenues for 2019 in Hancock County shows the county expects to bring in $13.3 million in tax revenue next year. However, that doesn’t include the recently approved quarter-percent sales tax. The county can’t include the tax in the budget until the state certifies it.