Prior to adoption, the board cut nearly $576,000 from budget requests submitted by departmental heads.

Big items pulled from the budget included $50,000 for the next reassessment, $18,704 in part-time wages for the Clerk of Circuit Court’s office, $16,000 for a new vehicle for the building inspector’s office, $6,000 in part-time wages for the treasurer’s office, $14,750 for animal control and $10,000 to the local health department.

Smaller cuts were taken across the board from travel budgets, dues, part-time wages and equipment and supply requests.

Proposed five-percent cuts to the Community Services Board and the Department of Social Services were rescinded on motions made by Tommy Tomlin, amounting to a total of $25,000 for social services and $2,050 for the community services board.

The motions passed 3-2 with Tomlin, Jim Long and Richard Haynie voting in favor of leaving the money in the budget and Ronnie Jett and Joe Self voting against.

Jett argued that fully funding those departments was coming at the expense of the schools.

He added that social services employees are driving around in vehicles with leather interiors and compact disc players, a sign, he said, of poor money management in that department.

Tomlin countered that, with tough economic times at hand, the community will rely more heavily on social services.

The board unanimously agreed to leave $4,000 in the budget for the Jamestown 4-H Center.

The supervisors cut $417,857 from the school board budget request, level funding the schools.

As a result, the school board voted Monday night to cut teacher raises, offering only a step increase but not a cost of living raise.

The school board also cut out a debt service payment, two new school buses and funding to cover higher fuel costs from the budget.

The board of supervisors made a public promise to superintendent Clint Stables last Thursday to help with additional funding if fuel costs continue to rise. Stables had projected a $225,000 increase in fuel costs for next year, but reduced that increase to $178,355 to meet his budget.

Level funding the schools still required a $936,168 increase in local dollars due to a dramatic reduction in state aid to Northumberland County this year.

Northumberland County’s total budget for 2008-2009 amounts to $49,200,155. The budget anticipates $45,977,307 in expenditures and predicts an ending fund balance of $3.2 million.

The supervisors approved the budget 4-1, with Tomlin voting against it on the grounds that it includes long term debt payment not approved by voter referendum.