MERCER COUNTY Officials share positions regarding 2006 budget

The state will pay for a new voting system to be used for the November election.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MERCER, Pa. -- Preparation of the Mercer County 2006 budget has begun, and two commissioners are leaning toward belt-tightening but no tax increase.
Commissioner Brian Beader said at the commissioners' chief clerk's meeting Tuesday that he would like to see 10 percent cuts in nonmandated services next year. Commissioner Michele Brooks said she also is committed to not raising taxes but acknowledged this will be difficult in view of cuts being made to the county from federal and state funding sources.
The third commissioner, Olivia Lazor, was out of town on county business and did not attend the session.
Asked about potential layoffs, Beader replied they are a "Catch-22" because the county is understaffed and trying to cut back by simply not hiring people to fill vacant positions.
Brooks said the budget appears to be on target for the remainder of this year and thanked elected officials and department heads for keeping a tight rein on spending.
Fiscal Director John Logan said, however, it is "way too early" to decide among alternatives to deal with next year's budgetary realities. He said he is looking at all alternatives. The budget is expected to be passed in early December.
Optican scan voting systems
Also Tuesday, Brooks announced that state officials said Monday they will pay for the optical scan system to be used for the November election in Mercer, Beaver and Greene counties.
Commissioners asked the state to pay for the system as it did for the May primary because the state decertified the Unilect touch-screen voting system that was used by all three counties. Cost in the spring for Mercer County was about $113,000. Brooks said the county might also need to hire an undetermined number of people to help count the ballots.
The counting was done by volunteers in May and toward the end of about a week's worth of counting, the work became burdensome because of volunteers' personal commitments. Beaver hired between eight and 15 people to count, but Beader said Mercer may need only three or four. Also, another truck driver may be needed to transport ballots on Election Day.
The optical scan system counts votes on paper ballots that have been marked with pencils.
Commissioners are hoping to buy a new voting machine system by next year's primary.